They not only taste great, but are exceptionally healthy.
Pacific Oysters are rich in zinc, iron and Vitamin B12, with 5 oysters providing over three times your daily Vitamin B12, 100% of your daily zinc needs, 30% of daily iron needs and 1500mg of EPA and DHA omega-3 fats.
Pacific Oysters are also high in protein and an excellent source of copper, iodine, magnesium, selenium and Vitamin C, and a good source of Vitamin D.
A nutritional analysis looking at the minerals and vitamins in New Zealand Pacific Oysters is summarised below, and represents a serving size of 100g/3.5oz raw oysters (5 medium sized oysters).
| Component | Units per 100g | Pacific Oysters (Raw) | Dietary Reference Intake | Upper Limit | Percentage of RDI | Percentage of Upper Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | g | 79.7 | ||||
| Energy | kJ | 341 | ||||
| Protein | g | 13.1 | 56 | 23.4 | ||
| Fat | g | 3.2 | 40 | 2.0 | ||
| Carbohydrate | g | 1.2 | ||||
| Calcium | mg | 72 | 1300 | 2500 | 5.5 | 2.9 |
| Copper | mg | 4.21 | 0.9 | 10 | 467.8 | 42.1 |
| Iodide | microg | 97 | 150 | 1100 | 64.7 | 8.8 |
| Iron | mg | 5 | 18 | 45 | 27.8 | 11.1 |
| Magnesium | mg | 87.6 | 420 | 20.9 | ||
| Manganese | microg | 1200 | 2300 | 11000 | 52.2 | 10.9 |
| Phosphorous | mg | 164 | 700 | 4000 | 23.4 | 4.1 |
| Potassium | mg | 191 | ||||
| Selenium | microg | 53 | 55 | 400 | 96.4 | 13.3 |
| Sodium | mg | 598 | 2300 | 26.0 | ||
| Zinc | mg | 15 | 11 | 400 | 136.4 | |
| Total Vitamin A | microg | 24.3 | 900 | 3000 | 2.7 | 0.8 |
| Thiamin | mg | 0.08 | 1.2 | ND | ||
| Riboflavin | mg | 0.27 | 1.3 | ND | ||
| Niacin equivalents | mg | 4.2 | 16 | 35 | 26.3 | 12.0 |
| Vitamin B6 | mg | 0.04 | 1.7 | 100 | 2.4 | 0.0 |
| Vitamin B12 | microg | 17 | 2.4 | ND | 700 | |
| Vitamin C | mg | 12 | 90 | 2000 | 13.3 | 0.6 |
| Vitamin D3 | microg | 1 | 15 | 50 | 6.7 | 2.0 |
| Vitamin E | mg | 0 | 15 | 1000 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Cholesterol | mg | 35 | ||||
| Saturated Fatty Acids | g | 1.1 | ||||
| Monounsat. Fatty Acids | g | 0.68 | ||||
| Polyunsat. Fatty Acids | g | 0.75 | 1.6 | 46.9 |
*Source: The Concise New Zealand Food Composition Tables http://www.foodcomposition.co.nz/concise-tables
