Editing Reference Daily Intake

{{Short description|US/Canada food nutrient labelling system}}
{{for|the food labelling system used in the European Union and the United Kingdom|Reference Intake}}
{{use mdy dates|date=November 2018}}

In the U.S. and Canada, the '''Reference Daily Intake''' ('''RDI''') is used in [[nutrition labeling]] on food and dietary supplement products to indicate the daily intake level of a [[nutrient]] that is considered to be sufficient to meet the [[Dietary requirements|requirements]] of 97–98% of healthy individuals in every [[demographic]] in the United States. While developed for the [[US population]], it has been adopted by Canada.<ref name="hc">{{cite web |title=Nutrition labelling – Table of daily values |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/technical-documents-labelling-requirements/table-daily-values/nutrition-labelling.html |publisher=Health Canada, Government of Canada |access-date=20 March 2024 |date=20 October 2022}}</ref>

The RDI is used to determine the '''Daily Value''' ('''DV''') of foods, which is printed on [[nutrition facts label]]s (as '''%DV''') in the United States and Canada, and is regulated by the [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) and by [[Health Canada]], respectively. The labels "high", "rich in", or "excellent source of" may be used for a food if it contains 20% or more of the DV.<ref name="dv3-24">{{cite web |title=Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels |url=https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/daily-value-nutrition-and-supplement-facts-labels |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001072833/https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/daily-value-nutrition-and-supplement-facts-labels |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 1, 2023 |publisher=US Food and Drug Administration |access-date=20 March 2024 |date=5 March 2024}}</ref> The labels "good source", "contains", or "provides" may be used on a food if it contains between 10% and 20% of the DV,<ref>{{cite web|title=Nutrient content claims for 'good source', 'high', 'more', and 'high potency', Specific Requirements for Nutrient Content Claims. Food Labeling, Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Chapter I, Subchapter B, Part 101, Subpart D, Section 101.54|url= https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=101&showFR=1&subpartNode=21:2.0.1.1.2.4|publisher=Food and Drug Administration|date=April 1, 2017|access-date=August 25, 2018}}</ref> and "low source" applies if the %DV is 5% or lower.<ref name=dv3-24/>

The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) were a set of nutrition recommendations that evolved into both the [[Dietary Reference Intake]] (DRI) system of nutrition recommendations (which still defines RDA values) and the RDIs used for food labeling. The first regulations governing U.S. [[nutrition]] labels specified a '''% U.S. RDA''' declaration based on the current RDA values, which had been published in 1968. Later, the % U.S. RDA was renamed the %DV and the RDA values that the %DVs were based on became the RDIs.

The RDAs (and later the RDA values within the DRI) were regularly revised to reflect the latest scientific information, but although the [[nutrition]] labeling regulations were occasionally updated, the existing RDI values were not changed, so that until 2016, many of the DVs used on nutrition facts labels were still based on the outdated RDAs from 1968. In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration published changes to the regulations including updated RDIs and DVs based primarily on the RDAs in the current DRI.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Major Changes Coming to Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts Labels Near You {{!}} Insights {{!}} Venable LLP |url=https://www.venable.com/insights/publications/2016/05/major-changes-coming-to-nutrition-facts-and-supple |access-date=2023-05-11 |website=www.venable.com |language=en}}</ref>

== Food labeling reference tables ==
The reference dietary intake (RDI) gives numbers based on gender and age. The Daily Value (DV) is put on the labels of food products and is meant for the general population.<ref name=dv3-24/>

===Daily Values===
The FDA issued a final rule on changes to the facts panel on May 27, 2016.<ref name=fda16/> The new values were published in the ''Federal Register''.<ref name="FedReg">{{Cite web|url=https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-05-27/pdf/2016-11867.pdf|title=Federal Register May 27, 2016 Food Labeling: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels}}</ref> The original deadline to be in compliance was July 28, 2018, but on May 4, 2018, the FDA released a final rule that extended the deadline to January 1, 2020, for manufacturers with $10&nbsp;million or more in annual food sales, and by January 1, 2021, for manufacturers with less than $10&nbsp;million in annual food sales.<ref name="FDA nutrition label">{{cite web | title=FDA provides information about dual columns on Nutrition Facts label | website=U.S. [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) | date=30 December 2019 | url=https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-brief/fda-brief-fda-provides-additional-information-about-requirements-dual-column-labeling-serving-sizes | access-date=16 May 2020}} {{PD-notice}}</ref><ref name="FDAdelay">{{cite web | title=Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label | website=U.S. [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) | date=27 May 2016 | url=https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/changes-nutrition-facts-label | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518044608/https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/changes-nutrition-facts-label | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 18, 2019 | access-date=16 May 2020}} {{PD-notice}}</ref><ref name="FDA rule 20180504">{{cite web | title=Food Labeling: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels and Serving Sizes of Foods That Can Reasonably Be Consumed at One Eating Occasion; Dual-Column Labeling; Updating, Modifying, and Establishing Certain Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed; Serving Size for Breath Mints; and Technical Amendments; Extension of Compliance Dates | website=Federal Register | date=4 May 2018 | url=https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/05/04/2018-09476/food-labeling-revision-of-the-nutrition-and-supplement-facts-labels-and-serving-sizes-of-foods-that | access-date=19 May 2020}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> During the first six months following the January 1, 2020 compliance date, the FDA worked cooperatively with manufacturers to meet the new Nutrition Facts label requirements, and did not focus on enforcement actions regarding these requirements during that time.<ref name="FDA nutrition label" />

===Labeling requirements===
As of 2024, the FDA requires manufacturers to display the contents and %DVs of certain nutrients on packaged food or supplement labels, with the instruction:<ref name=dv3-24/> 
<blockquote>
''The Nutrition Facts label must list total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, total sugars, added sugars, protein, and certain vitamins and minerals. While the actual amount and %DV of vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium must be listed, other vitamins and minerals may be listed voluntarily by the manufacturer.''

''However, they are required to list any vitamins and minerals that are added to the food or if a statement is made on the package labeling about their health effects or the amount contained in the food (for example, "high" or "low").''

''Similarly, the Supplement Facts label is required to list the same nutrients as the Nutrition Facts label when any of these nutrients are found in the supplement in an amount considered to be greater than zero.''
</blockquote>
The following table lists the DVs based on a caloric intake of 2000 k[[calories|cal]] (8400 k[[Joule|J]]), for adults and children four or more years of age, as of 2024.<ref name=dv3-24/><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://nationalacademies.org/HMD/Activities/Nutrition/SummaryDRIs/DRI-Tables.aspx|title=Dietary Reference Intakes Tables and Application: Health and Medicine Division|website=nationalacademies.org|access-date=2018-03-11}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! Nutrient
! DV<ref name=dv3-24/>

|-
| Total [[fat]]
| 78 [[gram|g]]
|-
| [[Saturated fatty acid]]s
| 20 g
|-
| [[Cholesterol]]
| 300 [[Milligram|mg]]
|-
| [[Sodium]]
| 2300&nbsp;mg
|-
| [[Potassium in biology|Potassium]]
| 4700&nbsp;mg
|-
| Total [[carbohydrate]]
| 275 g
|-
| [[Added sugars]]
| 50 g
|-
| [[Dietary fiber]]
| 28 g{{efn|based on 14 g/1000 Calories and a 2,000-Calorie diet}}
|-
| [[Protein (nutrient)|Protein]]
| 50 g{{efn|based on 10% of a 2,000-Calorie diet}}
|}

====Vitamins and choline====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Micronutrient
! DV
|-
|[[Vitamin A]] ||900 [[microgram|μg]]
|-
|[[Vitamin C]] ||90&nbsp;mg
|-
|[[Vitamin D]] ||20 μg
|-
|[[Vitamin E]] ||15&nbsp;mg alpha-tocopherol
|-
|[[Vitamin K]] ||120 μg
|-
|[[Thiamin]] ||1.2&nbsp;mg
|-
|[[Riboflavin]] ||1.3&nbsp;mg
|-
|[[Niacin (nutrient)|Niacin]] ||16&nbsp;mg
|-
|[[Pantothenic acid]] ||5&nbsp;mg
|-
|[[Vitamin B6]] ||1.7&nbsp;mg
|-
|[[Vitamin B12]] ||2.4&nbsp;μg
|-
|[[Biotin]] ||30 μg
|-
|[[Folate]] ||400 μg
|-
|[[Choline]] ||550&nbsp;mg
|}

====Minerals====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Micronutrient
! DV
|-
|[[Calcium in biology|Calcium]] ||1300&nbsp;mg
|-
|[[Chromium#Dietary recommendations|Chromium]] ||35&nbsp;μg
|-
|[[Copper in biology|Copper]] ||0.9&nbsp;mg 
|-
|[[Iodine in biology|Iodine]] ||150&nbsp;μg
|-
|[[Iron in biology|Iron]] ||18&nbsp;mg
|-
|[[Magnesium in biology|Magnesium]] ||420&nbsp;mg
|-
|[[Manganese in biology|Manganese]] ||2.3&nbsp;mg
|-
|[[Molybdenum in biology|Molybdenum]] ||45&nbsp;μg
|-
|[[Phosphorus in biology|Phosphorus]] ||1250&nbsp;mg
|-
|[[Selenium in biology|Selenium]] ||55&nbsp;μg
|-
|[[Zinc in biology|Zinc]] ||11&nbsp;mg
|-
|[[Potassium in biology|Potassium]] ||4700&nbsp;mg
|-
|[[Sodium in biology|Sodium]] ||2300&nbsp;mg
|-
|[[Chloride]] ||2300&nbsp;mg
|}

== History ==
[[File:Dietary Reference Intakes.svg|thumb|Dietary Reference Intakes]]
The RDI is derived from the RDAs, which were first developed during [[World War II]] by [[Lydia J. Roberts]], [[Hazel Stiebeling]] and [[Helen S. Mitchell]], all part of a committee established by the U.S. [[National Academy of Sciences]] to investigate issues of nutrition that might "affect national defense" (Nestle, p 35). The committee was renamed the Food and Nutrition Board in 1941, after which they began to deliberate on a set of recommendations for a standard daily allowance for each type of [[nutrient]]. The standards would be used for nutrition recommendations for the armed forces, civilians, and overseas populations who might need food relief. Roberts, Stiebeling, and Mitchell surveyed all available data, created a tentative set of allowances for "energy and eight nutrients", and submitted them to experts for review (Nestle, p 35). The final set of guidelines, called RDAs for Recommended Dietary Allowances, was accepted in 1941. The allowances were meant to provide superior nutrition for civilians and military personnel, so they included a "margin of safety". Because of food rationing during the war, the food guides created by government agencies to direct citizens' nutritional intake also took food availability into account.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

The Food and Nutrition Board subsequently revised the RDAs every five to ten years. In 1973, the FDA introduced regulations to specify the format of nutrition labels when present, although the inclusion of such labels was largely voluntary, only being required if nutrition claims were made or if nutritional supplements were added to the food. The nutrition labels were to include percent U.S. RDA based on the 1968 RDAs in effect at the time. The RDAs continued to be updated (in 1974, 1980 and 1989) but the values specified for nutrition labeling remained unchanged.<ref name="iom-2010-history">{{cite book | title=Front-of-Package Nutrition Rating Systems and Symbols: Phase I Report | chapter=2 History of Nutrition Labeling | author=Institute of Medicine | date=2010 | doi=10.17226/12957 | chapter-url=https://www.nap.edu/read/12957/chapter/4 | publisher=The National Academies Press | pmid=24983042 | isbn=978-0-309-15827-5 }}</ref>

In 1993, the FDA published new regulations mandating the inclusion of a [[nutrition facts label]] on most packaged foods. Originally the FDA had proposed replacing the percent U.S. RDAs with percent daily values based on the 1989 RDAs but the Dietary Supplement Act of 1992 prevented it from doing so. Instead, it introduced the RDI to be the basis of the new daily values. The RDI consisted of the existing U.S. RDA values (still based on the 1968 RDAs as the FDA was not allowed to change them at the time) and new values for additional nutrients not included in the 1968 RDAs.<ref name="iom-2010-history"/>

In 1997, at the suggestion of the [[Institute of Medicine]] of the National Academy, the RDAs became one part of a broader set of dietary guidelines called the [[Dietary Reference Intake]] used by both the United States and Canada. As part of the DRI, the RDAs continued to be updated.

On May 27, 2016, the FDA updated the regulations to change the RDI and Daily Values to reflect current scientific information.<ref name=fda16/><ref name=FedReg/> Until this time, the Daily Values were still largely based on the 1968 RDAs. The new regulations make several other changes to the nutrition facts label to facilitate consumer understanding of the calorie and nutrient contents of their foods, emphasizing nutrients of current concern, such as [[vitamin D]] and [[potassium]].<ref name=fda16/> The revision to the regulations came into effect on 26 July 2016 and initially stipulated that larger manufacturers must comply within two years while smaller manufacturers had an additional year.<ref name="fda16">{{cite web | url=https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm385663.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227212814/http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm385663.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 27, 2014 | title=Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label | publisher=United States Food and Drug Administration | work=FDA Labeling and Nutrition | date=May 20, 2016 | access-date=20 May 2016}}</ref><ref name="iom-2010-history"/><ref>{{cite journal | title=Food Labeling: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels | journal=Federal Register | date=May 27, 2016 | id={{Federal Register|81|33741}} }}</ref> On May 4, 2018, the FDA released a final rule that extended the deadline to January 1, 2020, for large companies and to January 1, 2021, for small companies.<ref name="FDA rule 20180504" /> During the first six months following the January 1, 2020 compliance date, the FDA worked cooperatively with manufacturers to meet the new Nutrition Facts label requirements and did not focus on enforcement actions regarding these requirements during that time.<ref name="FDA nutrition label" />

==Sodium and potassium==

In 2010, the U.S. [[Institute of Medicine]] determined that the government should establish new consumption standards for salt to reduce the amount of [[sodium]] in the typical American diet below levels associated with higher risk of several [[cardiovascular diseases]], yet maintain consumer preferences for salt-flavored food.<ref name="iom">{{cite web|url=http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12818 |title=FDA should set standards for salt added to processed foods, prepared meals|publisher=U.S. National Academies of Science |date=20 April 2010 |access-date=30 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100424215556/http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12818 |archive-date=24 April 2010}}</ref> In 1999, the average American adult ingested nearly 4,000&nbsp;mg of sodium daily, far above the National Research Council recommendation that the general U.S. population consume no more than 2,400&nbsp;mg of sodium (or 6 grams of salt) per day.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/heart/hbp/salt_up2.htm |title=Statement from the National High Blood Pressure Education Program |publisher=National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, U.S. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD |date=1999-10-14 |access-date=2011-03-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320182203/http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/heart/hbp/salt_up2.htm |archive-date=2011-03-20 }}</ref> For instance, the [[National Research Council (United States)|National Research Council]] said in 1989 that 500 milligrams of sodium per day (approximately 1,250 milligrams of table salt) "might be" a safe minimum level, based on estimated and assumed obligatory urinary, fecal, and dermal losses.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=1349&page=253 |title=Recommended Dietary Allowances: 10th Edition |year=1989 |publisher=The National Academies Press |location=Washington, DC |doi=10.17226/1349 |pmid=25144070 |isbn=978-0-309-04633-6 |access-date=2011-03-30}}</ref> In the United Kingdom, the daily allowance for salt is 6&nbsp;g (approximately 1.2 teaspoons, about the upper limit in the U.S.), an amount considered "too high".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8376701.stm |title=Daily salt intake allowances 'were set too high' |work=BBC News |date=2009-11-25 |access-date=2011-03-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3650578.stm |title=Britons told to cut salt intake |work=BBC News |date=2004-09-13 |access-date=2011-03-30}}</ref>

The Institute of Medicine advisory stated (daily intake basis): "Americans consume more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium – the amount in about 1.5 teaspoons of salt (8.7&nbsp;g) – each day. The recommended maximum daily intake of sodium – the amount above which health problems appear – is 2,300 milligrams per day for adults, about 1 teaspoon of salt (5.9&nbsp;g). The recommended adequate intake of sodium is 1,500 milligrams (3.9&nbsp;g salt) per day, and people over 50 need even less."<ref name=iom/>

The Daily Value for potassium, 4,700&nbsp;mg per day, was based on a study of men who were given 14.6 g of sodium chloride per day and treated with potassium supplements until the frequency of salt sensitivity was reduced to 20%.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Malik |first1=Vasanti S |last2=Willett |first2=Walter C |last3=Hu |first3=Frank B |title=Revised Nutrition Facts Panel: A Step Forward and More Room for Improvement |journal=JAMA |date=August 9, 2016 |volume=316 |issue=6 |pages=583–584 |doi=10.1001/jama.2016.8005 |pmid=27272093 |pmc=5287493 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate |url=https://www.nap.edu/read/10925/chapter/7#195 |publisher=National Academies Press |year=2005 |doi=10.17226/10925 |isbn=978-0-309-09169-5 |access-date=June 1, 2021}}</ref>

== See also ==
* {{Annotated link|Dietary Reference Intake}}
* {{Annotated link|Dietary Reference Values}}
* [[Essential nutrient]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* {{cite book | last = Nestle | first = Marion | title = Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health | publisher = University of California Press | location = Berkeley | year = 2002 | isbn = 978-0-520-22465-0 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/foodpolitics00mari }}

[[Category:Dietary minerals]]
[[Category:Nutrition]]
[[Category:Vitamins]]