Nori Quality & Testing
About Our Nori
Nutrition, Safety, Certifications & Allergen Information
The Cleanest, Safest Raw Nori on the Planet
RawNori is wild-harvested Porphyra Yezoensis - a single species of purple algae - grown in 4,000 acres of certified organic open ocean waters off the southern coast of Japan. It is dried at low temperature (never roasted), making it a true raw food. We test for over 450 potential contaminants including pesticide residues, heavy metals, and radiation isotopes. Pesticides, radiation, and microbiological contaminants have tested as "non detectable." Heavy metals are measured and verified to fall within established food safety standards.
Seaweed naturally absorbs minerals from the ocean, which means trace levels of heavy metals are common across all seaweed products. Rather than claiming "zero," we focus on testing, transparency, and ensuring levels fall within recognized safety standards.
We use only one species, from one source, processed in one allergen-free facility. No blending, no fillers, no additives, no chemicals. It's literally our name.
Welcome to RawNori.com
Our mission is to offer the cleanest, safest, healthiest, and most delicious nori on the planet. We've been proudly shipping our nori worldwide for over 10 years.
We know food quality and safety matter to our customers - it's why we're here in the first place. It all started when our founders were struggling to find an organic, raw nori sheet for their own use and couldn't find anything acceptable on the market. So we set out to offer what we believe is the best-quality raw nori in the world. It's literally our name.
Our nori is available in three forms: full-size sushi sheets (packs of 10 or 50), flakes, and powder.
Certified Organic & Tested for Safety and Purity
Our product is USDA Certified Organic by Bioagricert and Kosher Certified by Orthodox Union. In addition, we test at an independent laboratory here in the U.S. for more than 450 potential contaminants, including pesticide residues, heavy metals, and many different isotopes of radiation. Pesticides, radiation, and microbiological contaminants have tested as "non detectable." Heavy metals are measured and verified to fall within established food safety standards.
Our nori is free from irradiation. No genetic engineering, sewage sludge, or chemical processing is used at any stage of production or handling. Non-organic nori production, by contrast, may rely on chemicals and sewage sludge for growing, since there are no strict rules governing non-organic farming.
How It's Grown & Harvested
Our seaweed (species: Porphyra Yezoensis) is wild-grown in an open ocean environment across 4,000 acres of certified organic growing waters. Organic-certified waters are free from chemicals used in standard farming such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
After harvest, the nori is rinsed in salt water, then rinsed in fresh water multiple times. It is chopped, pressed, and dried naturally into sheets in a temperature- and humidity-controlled facility. The entire supply chain from growing site to processing, packaging, and sealing happens in a single, straight-line path with no unknowns about where the nori comes from or what has happened to it along the way.
Facility Certifications
The packaging facility holds food safety certifications from the top internationally recognized oversight organizations:
Single Source
Our nori is Non-GMO and obtained solely from its single plant source and species: Porphyra Yezoensis. It is 100% that one ingredient - nothing else.
Lesser nori products can be a mix of various seaweeds grown in various origins, pressed together into a "nori" sheet. In our sheets, there are no additional ingredients, additives, or processing aids. The nori is washed multiple times with fresh water only - no chemicals.
In addition, this product:
Is not produced using Sodium (Chilean) Nitrate. Is not derived from animals. Is not made from hydroponic or aeroponic production. Has not been subject to any genetic engineering. Is 100% Porphyra Yezoensis Dried Seaweed - not a mix of lesser-grade seaweeds.
Raw - Never Roasted
Due to the way our seaweed is cleaned and dried, our nori is a true raw food. It is dried at low temperature - essentially "dehydrated" - rather than roasted in ovens, which is how most nori sheets are produced.
The easiest way to tell a raw sheet from a roasted one is color. Raw nori has a darker, more purple appearance - the natural color of the seaweed. The species Porphyra Yezoensis is a purple algae. Only when roasted (cooked) does nori take on the shiny green color most people associate with sushi restaurant nori.
Most roasted nori is made from lesser-grade species and can even be multiple species of seaweed mixed together, all with different and possibly unknown origins. Once toasted, it all blends into a uniform shiny green sheet - so there's no way to tell what's actually in it. All of our nori is grown in a single 4,000-acre location of organic-certified waters, goes straight from the growing site to a single processing and packaging facility, and then directly to you. Simple and transparent.
Vegan
We have an extensive program in place to test for any shellfish or crustacean contamination during production, as part of the Orthodox Union Kosher Program, which has a "zero" tolerance policy.
The nori is harvested and rinsed in salt water, then hand-sorted and rinsed in filtered fresh water multiple times. Once pressed and dried into sheets, every sheet passes through an electronic machine that uses light to detect any possible shellfish or crustacean presence, automatically sorting out any problem sheets. This is done with every production run.
A batch of our nori powder, tested at a lab in California, showed crustacean contamination at "non detectable" - less than 1 part per million.
Top Quality
We use only one species - Porphyra Yezoensis - in all of our nori production. This species belongs to the Red/Purple Algae family and is considered the highest in nutritional value among seaweeds. All of our sheets, flakes, and powder are made exclusively from Porphyra Yezoensis, and only the top 15–20% of each harvest makes our grade for finished products.
Allergen Free
Our nori is processed in an Organic Certified Facility that is allergen free. The facility does not process or handle any of the following ingredients:
A Special Note on Crustaceans: We cannot guarantee that nori is 100% free of shellfish contact. Seaweed is grown and harvested in an open ocean environment. While strict procedures are in place to remove any traces of crustacean or shellfish contaminants, there is always a small possibility of trace presence. People with very severe shellfish sensitivities should avoid eating seaweed products.
That said, we have very strict procedures to prevent crustacean/shellfish contamination - largely as a requirement of our Kosher Program, which has a tolerance level of 0%. An allergen test at a local lab in California showed presence of crustacean allergen as "non detectable" at less than 1 part per million. The facility only handles nori, so our product does not come into contact with any machinery that would have been in contact with shellfish during processing or packaging.
Nutrition, Iodine, B12 & More
Everything below is for the detail-oriented reader who wants the full picture on nori's nutritional profile, iodine safety, B12 content, and how we address radiation concerns.
Nori Super Facts
Nori sheets are close to 40% protein by weight - that's twice the protein of soy beans and four times the protein of beef liver.
Nori has more than 10 times the calcium by weight compared to milk and dairy products.
Nori contains more vitamin C by weight than raw oranges.
Nori is the best source of safe iodine - see the iodine section below for full details.
Rich in essential amino acids including methionine, threonine, tryptophan, alanine, and glycine.
Contains anti-oxidant compounds such as chlorophyll and phycoerythrin, and is a great source of polysaccharides which help modulate immune response and support gut health and microbiota as a prebiotic.
Research suggests that porphyrin from this species may effectively decrease LDL ("bad") cholesterol while increasing HDL ("good") cholesterol.
Nori is very high in Omega-3 - in fact, 16 times higher in Omega-3 than Omega-6. Just one sheet (3 grams) has more Omega-3 than two full avocados. These polyunsaturated fats play an important role in regulating inflammation and supporting brain and nervous system function.
Nori is considered one of the best sources of biologically available nutrients. It is high in iron, magnesium, and potassium, and is much higher in vitamins A, B1, B2, and C and antioxidants than nearly all vegetables.
Nutrition Information
Per Sheet of Nori (2.1g serving)
| Nutrient | Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 7.24 | kcal |
| Calories from Fat | non detectable | kcal |
| Total Carbohydrates | 1.03 | g |
| Total Dietary Fiber | 0.82 | g |
| Total Sugar | non detectable | g |
| Protein | 0.79 | g |
| Total Fat | non detectable | |
| Saturated Fat | non detectable | g |
| Monounsaturated Fat | non detectable | g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | non detectable | g |
| Trans Fat | non detectable | |
| Cholesterol | 0.34 | mg |
| Vitamin A | 1.83 | IU |
| Vitamin C | 2.69 | mg |
| Calcium | 10.02 | mg |
| Iron | 0.32 | mg |
| Potassium | 34.17 | mg |
| Sodium | 12.89 | mg |
| Iodine | 39 | mcg |
Per 100 Grams of Nori (3.5 oz)
| Nutrient | Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 345 | kcal |
| Calories from Fat | non detectable | kcal |
| Total Carbohydrates | 48.9 | g |
| Total Dietary Fiber | 39.2 | g |
| Total Sugar | non detectable | g |
| Protein | 37.4 | g |
| Total Fat | non detectable | |
| Saturated Fat | non detectable | g |
| Monounsaturated Fat | non detectable | g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | non detectable | g |
| Trans Fat | non detectable | |
| Cholesterol | 16.2 | mg |
| Vitamin A | 87 | IU |
| Vitamin C | 128 | mg |
| Calcium | 477 | mg |
| Iron | 15.1 | mg |
| Potassium | 1,627 | mg |
| Sodium | 614 | mg |
| Iodine | 1,860 | mcg |
How Nori Compares (Per 100g)
| Food | Protein (g) | Fiber (g) | Phosphorus (mg) | Vit A (IU) | Calcium (mg) | Iron (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our Nori | 39.8 | 1.8 | 600 | 20,000 | 410 | 12.8 |
| Avocados | 2 | 7 | 54 | 146 | 12 | 0.6 |
| Eggs | 12.3 | 0 | 200 | 640 | 50 | 1.8 |
| Milk | 25.5 | 0 | 730 | 0 | 125 | 0.4 |
| Rice | 7.4 | 1 | 330 | 0 | 10 | 1.1 |
| Soybeans | 35.3 | 4.5 | 580 | 22 | 277 | 9.4 |
| Spinach | 2.9 | 2.2 | 31 | 9,377 | 10 | 3.1 |
Iodine Information
RawNori is a great source of naturally occurring iodine for healthy living. Most people get their daily iodine from iodized salt - meaning the only way to get enough iodine is to eat salt. We think there's a better way: go back to the source and get it the way nature intended - from the sea.
Nori seaweed is the most balanced and safely regulated sea vegetable for iodine intake. Read on for why nori is a great, safe way to get your iodine - and why some other seaweeds may not be the best choice.
How Much Iodine Is in RawNori?
Our raw nori contains 18.6 mcg of iodine per gram. Each RawNori sheet weighs 2.1 grams, so each sheet provides 39 mcg of iodine.
Meeting the Daily Requirement
The recommended daily intake of iodine is 150 mcg. That means 3.8 sheets of nori per day will cover your full daily requirement. Or, a daily serving of flakes or powder in your diet does the job.
Most fruits and vegetables have very little natural iodine - a banana, for example, has only about 3 mcg, meaning you'd need 50 bananas per day. Nori is the best way for anyone on a raw food, plant-based, or health-conscious diet (or anyone who doesn't eat iodized salt, dairy, or fish) to get adequate iodine.
Why Nori - and Not Other Seaweeds?
Other types of seaweed can be extremely high in iodine - dangerously so. Nori has far lower, more manageable levels that can be easily regulated to meet your daily requirement without risk of getting too much.
For comparison, kombu seaweed can deliver 2,200% of the RDA in a single sheet. That's far too much. And the iodine content in other seaweeds can vary wildly, making consistent dosing impossible.
Upper Limits & Safety
The recommended upper limit for iodine per day is 1,100 mcg, which equals about 28 sheets of our nori. Anywhere between 4 and 27 sheets per day keeps you in the safe zone of meeting the requirement without exceeding the upper limit. A daily serving of a few sheets, or some flakes or powder, is the way to go.
Can you have too much iodine? Yes. However, the "lethal dose" of iodine when it comes to our nori sheets would be 820,000 sheets in one sitting - that's 800 thousand sheets. We're pretty sure you're safe.
Why excess iodine is worth thinking about: Seaweeds are generally considered high in iodine, and excessive intake can cause problems for thyroid patients. However, not all seaweeds are equal. Korea and Japan have over 60 species. Food preparation also matters - kelp-flavored broth used in miso soup releases over 1,000 mcg of iodine into the liquid. Nori, by contrast, contains only a small, controlled amount. Young seaweed and floating seaweed also tend to have higher iodine than sun-dried varieties like ours.
B12 Information
The NIH has reported that in order to prevent Vitamin B12 deficiency in high-risk populations such as vegetarians, it is necessary to identify plant-derived foods that contain high levels of Vitamin B12. Their survey of plant-derived food sources found that dried purple laver (nori) is the most suitable Vitamin B12 source presently available for vegetarians. Furthermore, dried purple laver also contains high levels of other nutrients often lacking in vegetarian diets, such as iron and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Our nori (Porphyra Yezoensis, in the purple algae family) has the highest level of biologically active and biologically available B12 among all vegetarian sources. It contains approximately 54.5 to 58.6 mg/100g of B12 vitamins.
There are five types of biologically active B12 compounds in nori: cyano, hydroxo, sulfito, adensoyl, and methylcobalamin - with the last two (adensoyl and methylcobalamin) making up about 60% of the total.
How much nori for your B12? According to NIH research, consuming approximately 4 grams of dried purple laver (about 2 sheets) supplies the RDA of 2.4 μg/day. It does not require eating a lot of nori to get an adequate amount of B12.
B12 and mental health: Randomized, controlled trials involving folate and vitamin B12 suggest that patients treated with 0.8 mg of folic acid/day or 0.4 mg of vitamin B12/day may experience decreased depression symptoms.
Other Nutrients in a Single Sheet (2.5g)
On top of its B12 content, just one sheet of nori contains other nutrients that may support mental health and overall well-being:
Protein, 1g - Helps build and repair tissues. May also help you feel full for a longer period, potentially preventing hunger and overeating.
Iron, 0.30 mg - Iron deficiency can cause anemia and is also linked to depression, particularly in women during childbearing years (25-45). Nori provides non-heme iron, found in nuts, grains, vegetables, and other fortified products.
Magnesium, 9 mg - Several studies have reported improvements in depression symptoms when participants were given 125-300 mg of magnesium with each meal and at bedtime.
Calcium, 4 mg - Research on calcium and depression is mixed - some studies found low calcium in depressed patients, others found elevated levels. Either way, calcium matters because it affects magnesium levels in the body.
Vitamin K, 65 mcg - Important for normal blood clotting and for transporting calcium throughout the body, supporting bone health.
Phosphorus, 17 mg - Works with calcium to build strong bones and teeth. Also needed to balance and use other vitamins and minerals including vitamin D, iodine, magnesium, and zinc.
Potassium, 78 mg - Has a surprising connection with liver health. May help keep blood pressure under control and may even help reduce kidney stones and bone loss with age.
Vitamin C, 4 mg - Known for immune-boosting benefits and also important for aging-related health.
Folate, 30 mcg - Also called vitamin B9. Very important for pregnant women. May also help prevent cancer and heart disease and improve mental health. Research from Harvard Health reported folate may be useful in treating symptoms of depression.
The Science Behind Nori & the Gut Microbiome
Nori is more than a sea vegetable - it contains unique marine fibers not found in land plants. One of the most studied of these compounds is porphyran, a polysaccharide specific to the Porphyra species of seaweed.
A peer-reviewed study published in Nature and available through the National Library of Medicine investigated how porphyran interacts with the gut microbiome. The researchers found that only certain strains of beneficial gut bacteria possess the genetic machinery to break down porphyran, a rare gene cluster not widely shared among microbes. When these bacteria are given access to porphyran through seaweed in the diet, they can establish themselves reliably in the gut, even in the presence of a complex existing microbial community.
This means nori may function differently from typical plant fibers. Rather than broadly feeding all bacteria, porphyran appears to create what the researchers describe as a "privileged nutrient niche" selectively supporting specific microbial populations while also enabling cross-feeding, where the breakdown products help sustain a broader community of gut microbes.
Why This Matters
A Unique Fiber Source - Nori provides marine polysaccharides (like porphyran) that are structurally distinct from the fibers found in vegetables, grains, or fruit. Your gut bacteria encounter something they don't get from any other food.
Selective Prebiotic Potential - The study demonstrated that porphyran selectively supports certain beneficial Bacteroides strains, and that dietary access to this compound was sufficient to promote their engraftment and persistence in the gut.
Supports Microbial Diversity - Through cross-feeding interactions, the bacteria that break down porphyran produce metabolites that can benefit other members of the gut community - contributing to a more diverse and resilient microbiome.
Fine-Tuned Response - The researchers showed that bacterial abundance could be precisely modulated by varying the amount of porphyran in the diet, suggesting a dose-dependent relationship between seaweed intake and microbial response.
Because every person's microbiome is different, the way these compounds are utilized will vary from individual to individual. But this emerging area of research highlights why traditional foods like nori - consumed for centuries across East Asia - may offer functional benefits that science is only beginning to understand.
Unlike common plant fibers, nori contains rare marine compounds that have been studied for their role in shaping the gut microbiome - underscoring its place as a uniquely functional traditional food.
About the study: The research, titled "An exclusive metabolic niche enables strain engraftment in the gut microbiota," was conducted by researchers at Stanford University and published in Nature (2018). The raw culinary nori used in the study was sourced from RawNori.com. The full paper is available through the National Institutes of Health at PMC6126907
Regarding Nori & the 2011 Japan Earthquake Disaster
The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami disaster occurred off the northern coast of Japan on the Pacific Ocean side. Our nori growing site is in a 4,000-acre Certified Organic growing area located below the southern tip of Japan, in the Sea of Japan near the China coast - essentially on the opposite side of the country.
To be classified as Internationally Certified Organic growing waters, the area must be weekly tested and must have a minimum of 3 years of continuous "Clean" results. The Bioagricert organic program (based in Italy) is stricter than the USDA Organic program.
The prevailing winds and ocean currents near Japan travel from south to north, eventually circling around and heading from north to south down the western coast of the United States. This means the affected waters were traveling in the opposite direction - away from our growing site - and never came into contact with it.
Even though there was virtually no threat to our geographic location, our factory conducted daily radiation testing early on, with continued testing still ongoing. All radiation testing results have been non-detectable.
In addition, we send samples to an independent lab in the U.S. (New Jersey) where we test for all known isotopes of radiation from the earthquake disaster. All radiation results have been non-detectable.
Please be assured that our raw organic nori is safe and unaffected. We will continue to constantly monitor our supply to ensure the safety of our customers.