Table 4.
Overview of the level of reference values between countries for vitamins, minerals and trace elements
| Country | Year | Ref. | Vitamin C | Vitamin B6 | Vitamin A | Vitamin D | Vitamin E | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 months | 9 months | 3 months | 9 months | 3 months | 9 months | 3 months | 9 months | 3 months | 9 months | |||
| a. Overview of the level of reference values between countries for vitamins | ||||||||||||
| Albania | 2005 | [1] | High | High | Low | Low | High | |||||
| EC | 1993 | [2] | – | Low | – | – | – | High | – | – | ||
| Croatia | 2004 | [3] | – | – | – | – | – | |||||
| the Netherlands | 1992 | [4a] | High | Low | Low | – | – | |||||
| 2000 | [4b] | |||||||||||
| 2003 | [4c] | |||||||||||
| 2008# | [4d] | |||||||||||
| Ireland | 1999 | [5] | Low | Low | Low | – | – | |||||
| DACH | 2000 | [6] | High | High | High | High | ||||||
| Belgium | 2006 | [7] | High | Low | High | High | – | – | ||||
| Romania | 1990 | [8] | High | High | High | – | – | |||||
| Latvia | 2001 | [9] | ||||||||||
| France | 2001 | [10] | High | High | Low | High | High | |||||
| The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia | 2001 | [11] | ||||||||||
| Slovakia | 1997 | [12] | High | High | High | High | ||||||
| Lithuania | 1999 | [13] | ||||||||||
| Bulgaria | 2005 | [14] | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | |||||
| Nordic countries | 2005 | [15] | – | Low | – | – | Low | – | – | |||
| United Kingdom | 1991 | [16] | Low | Low | Low | – | – | |||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2005 | [17] | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | ||||
| Spain | 2007 | [18] | High | High | High | High | High | High | ||||
| Serbia | 1994 | [19] | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Italy | 1996 | [20] | – | – | – | – | High | – | – | |||
| Russian Federation | 1991 | [21] | High | |||||||||
| Estonia | 2006 | [22] | – | – | – | Low | – | – | ||||
| WHO/FAO | 2004 | [23] | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | |||||
| Poland | 1996 | [24] | High | High | High | |||||||
| Iceland | 2006 | [25] | – | Low | – | – | Low | – | – | |||
| Hungary | 2005 | [26] | High | High | ||||||||
| b. Overview of the level of recommendations between countries for vitamins | ||||||||||||
| Thiamin | Riboflavin | Niacin | Vitamin B12 | Folate | ||||||||
| 3 months | 9 months | 3 months | 9 months | 3 months | 9 months | 3 months | 9 months | 3 months | 9 months | |||
| Albania | 2005 | [1] | Low | High | High | |||||||
| EC | 1993 | [2] | – | – | – | – | – | |||||
| Croatia | 2004 | [3] | – | – | – | – | – | Low | ||||
| the Netherlands | 2000 | [4b] | Low | Low | ||||||||
| 2003 | [4c] | |||||||||||
| Ireland | 1999 | [5] | – | – | ||||||||
| DACH | 2000 | [6] | Low | High | High | |||||||
| Belgium | 2006 | [7] | High | High | ||||||||
| Romania | 1990 | [8] | High | High | High | – | – | – | – | |||
| Latvia | 2001 | [9] | High | High | Low | Low | ||||||
| France | 2001 | [10] | Low | High | High | |||||||
| The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia | 2001 | [11] | High | Low | Low | |||||||
| Slovakia | 1997 | [12] | High | High | ||||||||
| Lithuania | 1999 | [13] | High | High | High | High | Low | Low | ||||
| Bulgaria | 2005 | [14] | Low | High | High | |||||||
| Nordic countries | 2005 | [15] | – | – | – | – | – | |||||
| United Kingdom | 1991 | [16] | ||||||||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2005 | [17] | Low | High | High | |||||||
| Spain | progr | [18] | High | Low | ||||||||
| Serbia | 1994 | [19] | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Italy | 1996 | [20] | – | – | – | – | ||||||
| Russian Federation | 1991 | [21] | High | High | High | |||||||
| Estonia | 2006 | [22] | – | – | – | – | – | |||||
| WHO/FAO | 2004 | [23] | Low | High | High | High | ||||||
| Poland | 1996 | [24] | High | High | High | High | High | High | Low | |||
| Iceland | 2006 | [25] | – | – | – | – | – | |||||
| Hungary | 2005 | [26] | ||||||||||
| c. Overview of the level of recommendations between countries for minerals | ||||||||||||
| Calcium | Phosphorus | Potassium | Sodium | Magnesium | ||||||||
| 3 months | 9 months | 3 months | 9 months | 3 months | 9 months | 3 months | 9 months | 3 months | 9 months | |||
| Albania | 2005 | [1] | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | ||||
| EC | 1993 | [2] | – | Low | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Croatia | 2004 | [3] | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| the Netherlands | 1992 | [4a] | Low | – | Low | – | – | – | – | Low | ||
| 2000 | [4b] | |||||||||||
| Ireland | 1999 | [5] | High | – | – | |||||||
| DACH | 2000 | [6] | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | |||
| Belgium | 2006 | [7] | – | – | – | – | ||||||
| Romania | 1990 | [8] | High | High | High | – | – | – | – | High | ||
| Latvia | 2001 | [9] | ||||||||||
| France | 2001 | [10] | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia | 2001 | [11] | High | High | ||||||||
| Slovakia | 1997 | [12] | – | – | – | – | High | |||||
| Lithuania | 1999 | [13] | – | – | – | – | ||||||
| Bulgaria | 2005 | [14] | Low | Low | Low | Low | – | – | – | – | Low | Low |
| Nordic countries | 2005 | [15] | – | – | – | High | – | – | – | High | ||
| United Kingdom | 1991 | [16] | High | High | ||||||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2005 | [17] | Low | – | – | High | Low | Low | ||||
| Spain | progr | [18] | Low | Low | – | – | High | High | ||||
| Serbia | 1994 | [19] | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Italy | 1996 | [20] | – | – | – | – | – | |||||
| Russian Federation | 1991 | [21] | – | – | ||||||||
| Estonia | 2006 | [22] | – | – | – | High | – | High | ||||
| WHO/FAO | 2004 | [23] | Low (cow milk) | Low | – | – | – | – | Low | Low | ||
| Poland | 1996 | [24] | High | High | Low | Low | High | High | ||||
| Iceland | 2006 | [25] | – | – | – | High | – | High | ||||
| Hungary | 2005 | [26] | Low | |||||||||
| d. Overview of the level of recommendations between countries for trace elements | ||||||||||||
| Iodine | Iron | Zinc | Selenium | Copper | ||||||||
| 3 months | 9 months | 3 months | 9 months | 3 months | 9 months | 3 months | 9 months | 3 months | 9 months | |||
| Albania | 2005 | [1] | High | High | Low | High | Low | High | High | – | ||
| EC | 1993 | [2] | – | – | Low | – | – | Low | – | |||
| Croatia | 2004 | [3] | – | – | – | – | ||||||
| the Netherlands | 1992 | [4a] | – | – | Low | Low | High | |||||
| Ireland | 1999 | [5] | ||||||||||
| DACH | 2000 | [6] | High (no Switz) | Low | Low | Low | High | |||||
| Belgium | 2006 | [7] | High | High | – | |||||||
| Romania | 1990 | [8] | Low | Low | – | – | – | – | ||||
| Latvia | 2001 | [9] | High | |||||||||
| France | 2001 | [10] | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia | 2001 | [11] | High | High | High | High | High | |||||
| Slovakia | 1997 | [12] | High | High | ||||||||
| Lithuania | 1999 | [13] | Low | – | – | – | – | |||||
| Bulgaria | 2005 | [14] | High | High | Low | High | Low | |||||
| Nordic countries | 2005 | [15] | – | – | – | – | – | |||||
| United Kingdom | 1991 | [16] | ||||||||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2005 | [17] | Low | High | High | High | Low | Low | Low | High | High | |
| Spain | progr | [18] | Low | Low | Low | – | – | |||||
| Serbia | 1994 | [19] | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Italy | 1996 | [20] | – | Low | – | – | Low | – | ||||
| Russian Federation | 1991 | [21] | – | – | ||||||||
| Estonia | 2006 | [22] | – | – | – | – | – | |||||
| WHO/FAO | 2004 | [23] | High | High | – | High | Low | – | ||||
| Poland | 1996 | [24] | High | High | High | |||||||
| Iceland | 2006 | [25] | – | – | – | – | – | |||||
| Hungary | 2005 | [26] | ||||||||||
‘High’ means reference value is above the 75th percentile; ‘low’ means reference value is below the 25th percentile. Blank cells indicate that the reference value is between the 25th and 75th percentile.