Activity

Activity Description

The Institute of Medicine's (IOM's) Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) established a subcommittee on the upper reference level of nutrients as a component of the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes project in order to determine the highest level of daily nutrient intake that is likely to pose no risks of adverse health effects to almost all individuals in the healthy population.

These intake levels are being determined for each nutrient or non-nutrient food component assessed where adequate data are available. Thus far, the subcommittee has held workshops to evaluate risk assessment criteria in order to develop a model for establishing maximum levels of nutrient intake compatible with low risk of adverse effects. A report describing this model was published in December of 1998.

Using background information provided by each of the panels reviewing groups of nutrients and food components, the Upper Levels subcommittee is applying the developed model to establish maximum levels of intake compatible with low risk, and where adequate information is available, developing draft recommendations for upper safe levels and forwarding them to FNB's Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, which will issue report(s) upon completion. It is expected that when evaluation of all groups of nutrients and food components are completed as part of this ongoing process, the model for risk assessment of nutrients will be fully developed and validated.