Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) - The replacement for Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs)

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In December 2014 a new European Union (EU) regulation came into effect. The new regulation changed the way in which nutritional information should be displayed on food products in relation to vitamins and minerals. Many people are still unaware of the change which has led to confusion as they are still searching for the original ' RDA' (Recommended Daily Allowance) which the new regulation has now replaced.

The  RDA term is still used, but not for vitamins and minerals. It will be used for instance in the amount of calories which should be consumed per day. e.g. for women, they are recommended to consume 2,000 calories per day and for men it's 2,500 calories. RDA's still extend across the main macronutrients including fat, carbohydrates and protein as well as salt and fluids, but have been replaced by NRV's when it comes to vitamins and minerals.

So what’s the difference between RDA's and NRV's then?

So, when it comes to vitamins and minerals, the EU regulation has directly changed  RDA's to NRV’s (Nutrient Reference Values). So, instead of seeing 100% RDA, you will now see 100% NRV. It's that simple. The values for RDA and NRV’s are exactly the same.

So what are NRV's actually for then?

Nutrient Reference Values are EU recommendations for the daily nutritional intake of vitamins and minerals based on currently available scientific knowledge. They give you the daily level of intake of essential nutrients generally considered to be required by healthy humans to meet their known nutritional needs for the prevention of deficiencies. i.e they give the amount of vitamins and minerals you need to be consuming on a daily basis to prevent becoming ill.

Nutrient Reference Values (NRV's) - Vitamins

Nutrient Reference Values (NRV's) - Minerals