nutrient
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
A water-soluble vitamin whose coenzyme forms support oxidation-reduction reactions and energy metabolism.
Educational draft · Human scientific and editorial review pending. About review status
Riboflavin is converted to flavin mononucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide, which participate in many enzyme reactions. Light can degrade riboflavin in exposed foods.
Food sources
Per 100 g| Food | Per 100 g | Daily reference |
|---|---|---|
| Almonds, dry-roasted and salted | 1.57 mg | 98.13% |
| Roasted beef tenderloin | 0.4 mg | 25% |
| Greek yogurt, plain nonfat | 0.28 mg | 17.56% |
| Oat milk, unsweetened and refrigerated | 0.28 mg | 17.56% |
| Plain whole-milk yogurt | 0.24 mg | 15.19% |
Show 22 more foods
| Food | Per 100 g | Daily reference |
|---|---|---|
| Cottage cheese, 2% fat | 0.23 mg | 14.63% |
| Atlantic sardines, canned in oil (SR Legacy 2018) | 0.23 mg | 14.19% |
| Spinach | 0.19 mg | 12.13% |
| Spinach, raw (SR Legacy 2018) | 0.19 mg | 11.81% |
| Braised chicken breast | 0.19 mg | 11.69% |
| Braised chicken drumstick | 0.18 mg | 11.25% |
| Atlantic salmon, farmed, raw (SR Legacy 2018) | 0.16 mg | 9.69% |
| Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified | 0.14 mg | 8.75% |
| Atlantic salmon, farmed, cooked (SR Legacy 2018) | 0.14 mg | 8.44% |
| Hummus, commercial | 0.12 mg | 7.19% |
| Rainbow trout, wild, raw (SR Legacy 2018) | 0.11 mg | 6.56% |
| Orange bell pepper, raw | 0.1 mg | 6.37% |
| Brown rice, long-grain, raw | 0.1 mg | 6.37% |
| Mature carrots, raw | 0.1 mg | 5.94% |
| Soy milk, unsweetened and shelf-stable | 0.08 mg | 5.25% |
| Light tuna, canned in water, drained | 0.08 mg | 5.13% |
| White rice, long-grain, raw | 0.08 mg | 5% |
| Lentils, cooked and salted (SR Legacy 2018) | 0.07 mg | 4.56% |
| Red Delicious apple, raw | 0.07 mg | 4.13% |
| Grape tomatoes, raw | 0.07 mg | 4.06% |
| Navel orange, raw | 0.05 mg | 3.19% |
| Carrots, frozen and unprepared | 0.05 mg | 2.94% |
Compared with EFSA’s adult reference of 1.6 mg/day.
About these amounts
These values describe the named food and preparation. A 100 g comparison is not a suggested serving. Small amounts are rounded for display; an unreported amount is not zero.
Healthy European adults. Population reference intake: 1.6 mg/day. These are population references, not individual targets.
Portions recorded by the source
- Almonds, dry-roasted and salted: 1 cup (135 g) — 2.12 mg, 132.47% of the daily reference.
- Roasted beef tenderloin: 1 roast (462 g) — 1.85 mg, 115.5% of the daily reference.
- Greek yogurt, plain nonfat: 1 container (156 g) — 0.44 mg, 27.4% of the daily reference.
- Cottage cheese, 2% fat: 1 cup (220 g) — 0.51 mg, 32.18% of the daily reference.
- Braised chicken breast: 1 piece (174 g) — 0.33 mg, 20.34% of the daily reference.
- Braised chicken drumstick: 1 drumstick (104 g) — 0.19 mg, 11.7% of the daily reference.
- Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified: 1 cup (246 g) — 0.34 mg, 21.53% of the daily reference.
- Hummus, commercial: 2 tablespoon (33.9 g) — 0.04 mg, 2.44% of the daily reference.
- Light tuna, canned in water, drained: 1 can (142 g) — 0.12 mg, 7.28% of the daily reference.
The source records and EFSA guidance are linked in References below.
How it works
What it does
Riboflavin-derived cofactors help enzymes transfer electrons during energy production and support metabolism of fats, drugs and other compounds. They also help maintain normal antioxidant enzyme systems and activate vitamin B6.
Where it comes from
Milk and dairy products, eggs, meat, fish and fortified foods are common sources; food form and processing affect measured content.
Related topics
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) helps activate Vitamin B6
Riboflavin-derived cofactors help convert vitamin B6 into its active coenzyme form.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Riboflavin: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
Worth knowing
Light can reduce riboflavin. Riboflavin is light-sensitive. Packaging and storage can therefore affect the amount retained in an exposed food or drink, even when the food name is unchanged.
A closer look
Two helper molecules made from B2
Cells turn riboflavin into FMN and FAD. These helper molecules carry electrons in reactions involved in energy production and other cellular work. They are working forms of B2, not separate vitamins to obtain from food.
References
Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (opens in new tab)Riboflavin: Fact Sheet for Health ProfessionalsChecked 2026-09-05
- European Food Safety Authority (opens in new tab)Dietary Reference Values for nutrients: Summary reportChecked 2026-09-05
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (opens in new tab)FoodData Central Foundation Foods, April 2026 JSON releaseChecked 2026-09-05
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (opens in new tab)FoodData Central SR Legacy, April 2018 JSON releaseChecked 2026-09-05
- European Food Safety Authority (opens in new tab)Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for magnesiumChecked 2026-09-04
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (opens in new tab)Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health ProfessionalsChecked 2026-09-04
- USDA Agricultural Research Service (opens in new tab)FoodData CentralChecked 2026-09-04
Take it into the kitchen
Explore this nutrient in simple meals. Recipe pages show estimated amounts and missing data.
Kale mushroom breakfast skillet · 20 min →
Egg mushroom brown rice · 20 min →
Garlic mushroom pasta · 22 min →
Compare meals by vitamin b2 (riboflavin) →