International Comparison of Nutrient Reference Values for Nutriton Labeling

Abstract

Objective: Nutrition labeling is important information for food choice, and it serves as a base for maintaining and promoting health through food. The nutrient reference value (NRV) is a reference for nutrition labeling on foods, but the way of establishing it varies among countries. With a view of food globalization, the objective in this report was to survey the NRVs established by the Codex Committee and by each country and compare them with the Japanese NRVs. Methods: We surveyed government agencies' websites and interviews with officers responsible for nutrition labeling for NRVs or corresponding reference values from Codex, the United States, Canada, the European Union, Australia/New Zealand, China, Korea, and Japan. Results: For Codex and each country, NRVs of vitamins and minerals were established based on the values equivalent to the Recommended Dietary Allowance of Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese. For sodium, many countries adopted the value recommended by the World Health Organization, but for potassium, the either values for requirement or for risk reduction of non-communicable diseases (NCD) were adopted. In Japan, both NRVs were set as Dietary Goals aimed at reducing the risk of NCDs. Basically, the NRVs of each country adopted the established criteria of Codex, but in the details, it adopted its own strategy. Conclusions: It is important to consider the characteristics of public nutrition, such as the nutrient intake of the general population of each country as well as the consistency with the international standard of setting NRVs for the purpose of nutrition labeling.