Scientific Committees Scientific Committee on Food Outcome of discussions

Tolerable upper intake levels for vitamins and minerals

(updated in April 2003)

Terms of Reference

The European Commission has requested the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF):

1. To review the upper levels of daily intakes of individual vitamins and minerals that are unlikely to pose a risk of adverse health effects.
2. To provide the basis for the establishment of safety factors, where necessary, for individual vitamins and minerals which would ensure the safety of fortified foods and food supplements containing these nutrients.

Workplan

It is planned that all the vitamins, essential minerals and trace elements which were included by the SCF in its report on recommended dietary intakes (SCF, 1993) will be considered in this review on upper levels, i.e. vitamin A (retinol and b -carotene), vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B ₆, vitamin B ₁₂, folate, biotin, pantothenic acid, vitamin C, sodium, potassium, chloride, fluoride, iodide, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, molybdenum, and chromium.

On 19 October 2000 the SCF expressed an opinion on guidelines for the development of Tolerable Upper Intake Levels for vitamins and minerals, together with opinions on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels for the following nutrients: b -carotene, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate, manganese, selenium and molybdenum.

On 22 November 2000 the SCF expressed an opinion on the Tolerable Upper Intake Level of vitamin B2.

On 11 July 2001 the SCF expressed an opinion on the Tolerable Upper Intake Level of vitamin B1.

On 26 September 2001 the SCF expressed two opinions on the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels of Biotin and Magnesium.

On 17 April 2002 the SCF expressed two opinions on the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels of pantothenic acid and nicotinic acid and nicotinamide (niacin).

On 26 September 2002 the SCF expressed two opinions on the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels of iodine and preformed vitamin A (retinol and retinyl esters).

On 4 December 2002 the SCF expressed an opinion on the Tolerable Upper Intake Level of vitamin D.

On 5 March 2003 the SCF expressed two opinions on the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels of zinc and copper.

On 4 April 2003 the SCF expressed four opinions on the Tolerable Upper Intake Level of calcium, vitamin E, vitamin K and chromium.

Opinions on the remaining micronutrients will be prepared by the European Food Safety Authority.

Reference

Scientific Committee for Food (1993). Nutrient and energy intakes for the European Community. Reports of the Scientific Committee for Food, Thirty First Series. European Commission, Luxembourg. http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scf/out89.pdf.

Scientific Committees Scientific Committee on Food
FOOD SAFETY | PUBLIC HEALTH | CONSUMER PROTECTION | DIRECTORATE GENERAL "HEALTH & CONSUMER PROTECTION"