Dietary reference intakes

Dietary reference intakes (DRIs) are a set of scientifically developed reference values for nutrients.

Work in nutritional health and safety depends on DRIs to provide the science-based evidence for:

  • developing nutrition labels
  • developing dietary guidelines and food guides
  • ensuring foods and supplements contain safe levels of nutrients
  • creating patient and consumer counseling and educational programs
  • assessing nutrient intakes and monitoring the nutritional health of the population

Services and information

Applying DRIs in professional settings

Underlying principles, types of DRI values, guidance documents 'Applying the Dietary Reference Intakes' and 'The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements'

DRI reports list

Links to published DRI reports on nutrients, applications, methodologies, lessons learned

DRI tables

DRI values for vitamins, minerals and macronutrients, definitions, equations to estimate energy requirements, unit conversions, height and weight references

Maintaining DRIs

Standing Committee on DRI framework, joint Canada-U.S. working group, evidence scanning

DRIs and their development

Origin of DRIs and Canadian participation, DRI development process, chronological table of nutrient standards in Canada

Review of macronutrients and energy

The review of macronutrients will address energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate and fibre

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