Are Scallops Bad for Gout? What the Purine Data Shows

TL;DR

• The only lab analysis of scallops in the USDA and ODS-NIH purine database found about 75 mg per 100 g, which would be moderate. Older tables list about 135 to 220 mg.
• One sample isn’t enough to call scallops a low-purine shellfish, so we still treat them like other shellfish: an occasional food between flares.
• A 3-ounce (85 g) portion is roughly 64 mg on the new figure, and up to about 185 mg on the old ones. Skip scallops during a flare.

Scallops are probably not the worst shellfish for gout, but they aren’t a free pass yet. The single lab analysis in the USDA database puts them in the moderate band, well below shrimp, while older purine tables rank them among the higher shellfish.

Until more scallops are tested, the sensible middle ground is to treat them like other shellfish: a normal portion, now and then, and not during a flare.

How Many Purines Are in Scallops?

The USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods (Release 2, 2025) has one scallop entry: a 2014 Japanese analysis of the adductor muscle, the round, white part sold as scallops. It came in at about 75 mg of purines per 100 g of raw scallop.

Older purine tables list scallops much higher, from about 135 to 220 mg per 100 g. Earlier versions of Urica’s own pages used both 136 and 220. We can’t trace those figures to a lab analysis the database accepted, but we can’t rule them out either.

Here’s what a portion looks like either way:

Scallops (raw weight)	On the 2014 analysis (~75 mg/100 g)	On older tables (~135–220 mg/100 g)
100 g	~75 mg	~135–220 mg
3 oz (85 g)	~64 mg	~115–187 mg
4 oz (113 g)	~85 mg	~153–249 mg
6 oz (170 g)	~128 mg	~230–374 mg

Our bands are low (under 50 mg per 100 g), moderate (50–100), high (100–200) and very high (over 200). On the one analysis, scallops are moderate. On older tables, they’re high to very high. The database doesn’t separate bay and sea scallops, so there’s no data on whether size or species makes a difference.

Why One Low Number Isn’t Enough

A single sample can be off for ordinary reasons. The database’s authors note that “differences among species, growing conditions, storage, laboratory methods, and other factors can impact reported purine values.” A Japanese retail scallop may not match the Atlantic sea scallops sold in the US.

Scallops also sit among neighbors with more data behind them. Clams have three analyses at about 135 mg per 100 g, and shrimp five at about 180. Scallops may genuinely be lower, and we’ll update this page if more analyses appear. For now, one sample isn’t enough to move them out of the shellfish group.

Two more reasons to stay careful:

• Guidance names them. The Arthritis Foundation says mussels, scallops, squid, shrimp, oysters, crab and lobsters “should only be eaten once in a while.”
• No omega-3 offset. A 2023 analysis of 12,505 US adults classed scallops as omega-3-poor seafood. Each extra daily ounce of that group was linked to 8.7% higher odds of gout, while omega-3-rich fish showed no link. It was a cross-sectional survey, so it can’t prove cause.

How Do Scallops Compare With Other Shellfish?

Shellfish (raw)	Purines per 100 g	Band	Analyses in the database
Mussels	~310 mg	Very high	None
Shrimp	~180 mg	High	5
Squid	~145 mg	High	2
Clams	~135 mg	High	3
Oysters	~120 mg	High	1
Crab	~120 mg	High	2
Lobster	~100 mg	High	1
Scallops	~75 mg (older tables 135–220)	Moderate on one analysis	1
Imitation crab	~25 mg	Low	None

For the neighbors, see are clams and mussels bad for gout, are oysters bad for gout and is shrimp bad for gout.

How Much Scallop Is Reasonable?

• Portion: 3 to 4 ounces raw weight. That’s about 64–85 mg on the new figure, or up to about 250 mg on the oldest one.
• Frequency: an occasional food, like other shellfish, not a daily “safe” protein.
• One shellfish per meal. Seafood risotto, paella and mixed grills often add shrimp or mussels. Pick one.
• Watch what’s wrapped around them. Bacon is in the high band too, about 100 mg per 100 g (60–140 across analyses).
• Plan the day. Keep the other meals low in purines, with eggs, yogurt, oatmeal, rice or vegetables.

Purines stack up over a day, and that’s what matters. In a 2012 study of 633 people with gout, those in the highest fifth of purine intake over two days had about 4.8 times the odds of a recurrent attack compared with the lowest fifth, with animal purines carrying more risk than plant purines.

If you log meals, an app like Urica can total a scallop dinner with its sides from a photo, which makes stacking easy to spot.

Scallops During a Flare vs. Between Flares

During a flare, skip scallops and other shellfish until things settle. Start the treatment your doctor prescribed; the American College of Rheumatology’s 2020 guideline strongly recommends colchicine, NSAIDs or glucocorticoids as first-line options. Drink plenty of water unless you’ve been told to limit fluids.

Between flares, a 3- to 4-ounce portion now and then is reasonable for most people, as the only high-purine food on the plate. The same guideline conditionally recommends limiting purine intake for people with gout regardless of disease activity, and limiting alcohol too.

Seared, Wrapped, Crudo and Chowder

• Seared scallops: the cleanest option. A little butter adds almost no purines.
• Scallop risotto: rice is low in purines (about 5 mg per 100 g cooked). Meat or fish stock adds a little, so the scallops remain the main load.
• Bacon-wrapped scallops: two high-purine foods at once. Keep them to a few pieces as a starter.
• Crudo and ceviche: raw scallop has the same purines as cooked, portion for portion. Portions are usually small, which helps.
• The coral (roe): hasn’t been measured. Reproductive tissue varies widely in other species, from about 80 mg per 100 g for fish roe to about 560 for cod milt, so skip it if you’re being careful.
• Seafood chowder: potatoes and milk are low in purines, but mixed-seafood versions stack shellfish. A cup is plenty.

Better Swaps for Scallops

Instead of	Try	Why it helps
Bacon-wrapped scallops	Seared scallops with lemon	Drops the bacon (~100 mg per 100 g)
Mixed seafood risotto	Scallop-only risotto with zucchini and herbs	No shrimp (~180) or mussels (~310)
Scallops with steak	Scallops with potatoes and vegetables	One high-purine food instead of two
Scallops as an everyday “safe” shellfish	Eggs or tofu on most days	Eggs ~0, tofu ~25 mg per 100 g
Real-shellfish salad	Imitation crab salad	~25 mg per 100 g, though salty and lower in protein

Tofu is also low in purines despite its reputation; see is tofu bad for gout.

The Bottom Line

Scallops may be one of the lower shellfish for gout: the one lab analysis in the USDA database found about 75 mg of purines per 100 g. But that’s a single Japanese sample, older tables list 135 to 220 mg, and gout guidance still names scallops among the shellfish to eat only once in a while. Treat them like other shellfish: a 3- to 4-ounce portion now and then between flares, the only high-purine food of the meal, and none while a flare is active.

Sources

• USDA Agricultural Research Service. USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods. Release 2, 2025.
• Arthritis Foundation. Gout Diet Dos and Don’ts.
• FitzGerald JD, et al. 2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout. Arthritis Care & Research, 2020.
• Zhang Y, et al. Purine-rich foods intake and recurrent gout attacks. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2012.
• Zeng G, et al. n-3 PUFA poor seafood consumption is associated with higher risk of gout, whereas n-3 PUFA rich seafood is not: NHANES 2007–2016. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2023.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk to your rheumatologist or healthcare provider about your specific situation.