Towards an adequate intake of vitamins and minerals

Regulations and research undergo rapid development

European legislation, regulations and research in the field of vitamins, minerals and trace elements, known as micronutrients, undergo rapid development. That is why the Minister for Health, Welfare and Sport has asked the Health Council of the Netherlands for advice in connection with a review of policy in this area.
The aim of the policy is to ensure that as many people as possible consume adequate quantities of micronutrients, while, at the same time, minimising the risk that people exceed the safe upper level of intake.
In this final advisory report, the specially constituted committee (the Micro-nutrients Committee) presents advice on what is needed for the general, healthy population. The committee takes its earlier advisory reports on vitamins A and D, folic acid and iodine into account. The micronutrient intake of people with medical problems is not covered by this advisory report.

Committee

• Professor G. Schaafsma, Emeritus Professor of Food and Nutrition, Wageningen University / Former director food and health, TNO Quality of Life, Zeist, chairman
• Dr. H. van den Berg, Nutritional expert, Nutrition Centre, The Hague
• E.N. Blok, Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, The Hague, advisor
• Dr. H.J. Blom, Clinical biochemic geneticist, Free University Medical Centre, Amsterdam
• Professor C.P.G.M. de Groot, Professor of Nutritional Physiology, with a particular focus on the ageing process and elderly people, Wageningen University
• Dr. M. den Heijer, Endocrinologist, St. Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen
• Dr. K.F.A.M. Hulshof, Nutritional expert, formerly with TNO Quality of Life, Zeist
• Professor P.T.A.M. Lips, Professor of Endocrinology, Free University Medical Centre, Amsterdam
• Professor I.M.C.M. Rietjens, Professor of Toxicology, Wageningen University
• Professor P.J.J. Sauer, Professor of Paediatric Medicine, University of Groningen
• Professor P. van ’t Veer, Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology, Wageningen University
• Dr. T. Vulsma, Paediatrician and endocrinologist, Amsterdam University Medical Centre
• Dr. R.M. Weggemans, Health Council, The Hague, scientific secretary