Which purine base makes up most of this number?

Hypoxanthine — 220.7 mg of the 250.42 mg per 100 g total. The rest is guanine 15.2, adenine 14.5, xanthine 0.02.

Why is hypoxanthine the largest fraction here?

Hypoxanthine accounts for 220.7 of the 250.42 mg total — about 88% of the number.

Luncheon meat, ham, ready-to-eat

High purine

Sausages and luncheon meats

Purine content

250 mgper 100 g

The level label is a plain categorization of the number above — not a statement about whether this food fits your diet. See the full disclaimer.

Composition — per 100 g

Purine, total	250 mg
— Adenine	14.5 mg
— Guanine	15.2 mg
— Hypoxanthine	221 mg
— Xanthine	0.02 mg
Fructose	No data available
Calories	144 kcal

Missing figures are shown as “No data available”; values are copied from the sources below and are never estimated. Laboratory values differ between studies and samples.

Where these numbers come from

Purine total and fractions: USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods, Release 2.0 (2025) — USDA analytical data (FDC Foundation Foods program).
Fructose and calories: USDA FoodData Central record #167885.

If you want something similar

Within sausages and luncheon meats, the same table also lists Pork, bacon, unprepared at 61.8 mg and Ham, pressed and boneless types at 69.4 mg per 100 g.

From the author

Personal experience of someone living with gout

I skip it during a flare — processed meat doesn't sit well with me.

Personal experience — not medical advice. Read the full disclaimer.

Questions

Which purine base makes up most of this number?: Hypoxanthine — 220.7 mg of the 250.42 mg per 100 g total. The rest is guanine 15.2, adenine 14.5, xanthine 0.02.
Why is hypoxanthine the largest fraction here?: Hypoxanthine accounts for 220.7 of the 250.42 mg total — about 88% of the number.

Looking for a different food? Search the full database — every entry there links back to its source, whether or not it has a page like this one. Or browse high purine foods.