Since 1997, the Institute of Medicine has issued a series of nutrient reference values that are collectively termed Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). The DRIs offer quantitative estimates of nutrient intakes to be used for planning and assessing diets. Using the information from these reports, this newest volume in the DRI series focuses on how the DRIs, and the science for each nutrient in the DRI reports, can be used to develop current and appropriate reference values for nutrition labeling and food fortification.

Focusing its analysis on the existing DRIs, the book examines the purpose of nutrition labeling, current labeling practices in the United States and Canada, food fortification practices and policies, and offers recommendations as a series of guiding principles to assist the regulatory agencies that oversee food labeling and fortification in the United States and Canada. The overarching goal of the information in this book is to provide updated nutrition labeling that consumers can use to compare products and make informed food choices. Diet-related chronic diseases are a leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States and Canada and helping customers make healthy food choices has never been more important.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• COMMITTEE ON USE OF DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES IN NUTRITION LABELING
• FOOD AND NUTRITION BOARD
• Reviewers
• Preface
• Executive Summary
• 1. Introduction
  • COMMITTEE CHARGE AND STUDY PROCESS
  • REPORT ORGANIZATION
• 2. Overview of Nutrition Labeling in the United States and Canada
  • REFERENCE VALUES AND NUTRITION LABELING IN THE UNITED STATES
  • REFERENCE VALUES AND NUTRITION LABELING IN CANADA
  • CONSUMER UNDERSTANDING AND USE OF NUTRITION LABELING
• 3. Overview of Food Fortification in the United States and Canada
  • HISTORY AND CURRENT STATUS OF U.S. FOOD FORTIFICATION POLICY
  • HISTORY AND CURRENT STATUS OF CANADIAN FOOD FORTIFICATION POLICY
  • SUMMARY
• 4. A Brief Review of the History and Concepts of the Dietary Reference Intakes
  • ORIGIN
  • RATIONALE FOR THE FRAMEWORK
  • WHAT ARE DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES?
  • CATEGORIES OF DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES
  • DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKE ISSUES ESPECIALLY RELEVANT TO NUTRITION LABELING AND DISCRETIONARY FORTIFICATION
  • GENERAL ISSUES FOR NUTRITION LABELING AND DISCRETIONARY FORTIFICATION
• 5. Guiding Principles for Selecting Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling
  • GUIDANCE ON DEVELOPING REFERENCE VALUES
  • USE OF TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVELS
  • ADDITIONAL ISSUES
• 6. Guiding Principles for the Discretionary Addition of Nutrients to Food
  • SCIENTIFIC JUSTIFICATION AND CRITERIA
  • A CONCEPTUAL MODEL
  • ISSUES IN IMPLEMENTING A LEVEL OF DISCRETIONARY FORTIFICATION
• 7. Data Support and Research Recommendations
  • RESEARCH IN SUPPORT OF DETERMINING NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS
  • BIOLOGICAL ENDPOINTS UNDERLYING THE TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVELS AND INFORMATION ON ADVERSE EFFECTS
  • EMPIRICAL RESEARCH TO ASCERTAIN THE IMPACT OF DISCRETIONARY FORTIFICATION
  • FOOD COMPOSITION AND DIETARY SUPPLEMENT DATABASES
  • CHANGES IN NUTRITION LABELING AND CONSUMER RESEARCH ON ITS USE
• 8 References
• A Biographical Sketches of the Committee
• B Selected Illustrative Calculations Using a Population-Weighted Approach
• C Reference Tables
• D Workshop Programs

Support for this project was provided by the Food and Drug Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture under Contract No. 223-01-2460, Task Orders 5 and 8, and by Health Canada under Contract No. H1021-020552/001/SS. The views presented in this report are those of the Institute of Medicine Committee on Use of Dietary Reference Intakes in Nutrition Labeling and are not necessarily those of the funding agencies.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.