Fish Roe & Milt Purine Ranking: Lowest to Highest

Lowest Purine Fish Roe & Milt

#8milt, cod559.9 mg

Highest Purine Fish Roe & Milt

#8Salmon roe (Ikura)3.7 mg

#7roe, mixed species, raw80.8 mg

#6Shishamo with roe149.6 mg

#5shishamo with roe, half-dried149.6 mg

#4Botan shrimp (roe)162.5 mg

#3milt, pigfish, striped, raw306.1 mg

#2milt, globefish375.4 mg

#1milt, cod559.9 mg

Category Average: 223.4 mg/100g

The average across 8 Fish Roe & Milt foods with lab-measured data. Foods below this average are better-than-typical choices within this category.

How to Use This Ranking

The purine ranking is sorted from lowest to highest. Rank #1 is the lowest-purine food in the category. Foods in the top half (above median) should be consumed with more awareness of portion and frequency. The difference between adjacent ranks varies: in some categories, rank #5 and #10 might be only 10 mg apart; in others, the gap can be 100+ mg. Always check the actual milligram value, not just the position. Rankings do not account for fructose or alcohol — use individual food pages for a complete risk assessment.

ACR 2020 Guideline Context

The American College of Rheumatology recommends that gout patients focus on purine awareness rather than complete food group elimination. Within any category, there is a wide purine range. The goal is to shift toward lower-purine choices within categories you already eat, rather than eliminating entire food groups. This ranking helps you identify which specific items to prioritize and which to limit.

Japanese guidelines recommend under 400 mg of total dietary purines per day. Using this ranking, you can estimate how much of budget each food uses per typical serving.

How This Comparison Is Built

Each item here is scored by a three-factor risk engine covering purines, fructose, and alcohol. Purine values draw on the USDA+ODS-NIH PURINE DATABASE Release 2 (March 2025) and Kaneko et al. (Biol Pharm Bull 37(5):709-721, 2014, PMID: 24553148); fructose comes from USDA SR28 tables. Classification uses ACR 2020 thresholds — Safe under 50 mg purine and 2 g fructose with no alcohol, Moderate in between, Avoid above, or when alcohol is present. Each food page labels its data quality as T1 (lab-measured), T2 (measured plus consensus), or T3 (category estimate).

This comparison is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Individual tolerance to purines and fructose varies. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized dietary guidance. Last reviewed: 2026-09-03.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is fish roe bad for gout?

It depends on the type. Fish roe and milt vary widely in purines — from about 3.7 mg/100g for salmon roe up to 559.9 mg/100g for cod milt in our database. Roe is also salty, so it adds sodium. Enjoy small servings occasionally and check the specific type rather than treating all fish eggs alike.

Which fish roe is lowest in purines?

Salmon roe (ikura) measures lowest in our database at about 3.7 mg/100g, followed by mixed-species roe around 80.8 mg/100g. Milt (fish milt, often from cod or pufferfish) runs much higher. If you like roe, salmon roe and similar types in small portions are the more gout-friendly choice.

Is caviar high in purines?

Most caviar and fish-egg products are moderate in purines and also high in sodium. In our database, mixed-species roe sits around 80.8 mg/100g, which is moderate rather than extreme. The practical limits are portion size and salt — a small garnish is fine, a bowl is not.

Fish Roe & Milt Ranked by Purine Content