Ask the Dietitian Archives:

October 2008:
What does the Daily Value represent on my yogurt’s nutrition label?

September 2008:
Isn’t diet and exercise the best way to promote heart health?

August 2008:
Healthy choices from fast-food menus?

July 2008:
Body detoxification

June 2008:
Is it possible to eat well without breaking the bank?

May 2008:
"Downed" cows

April 2008:
Are there healthier espresso options?

March 2008:
“Deceptively Delicious”

February 2008:
What does "nutrient-rich" mean?

January 2008:
Raw milk vs. pasteurized milk

December 2007:
The dairy industry’s involvement in eating “local”

November 2007:
E. coli and dairy foods

October 2007:
School lunches vs. packed lunches

September 2007:
Fat-free half-and-half

August 2007:
Milk’s impact on teeth

July 2007:
Dealing with lactose intolerance

June 2007:
The relationship between calcium and heart disease

May 2007:
Mothers’ influences on daughter’s eating habits

April 2007:
“Extreme eating” at restaurants

March 2007:
The validity of industry-sponsored dairy studies

February 2007:
What is cloned milk and is it safe?

January 2007:
Cholesterol guidelines for children

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Ask the Dietitian

By Althea Zanecosky, MS, RD, LDN
Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association

October 2008

Q: The label on my yogurt says that one cup supplies 40 percent of the Daily Value for calcium. What does Daily Value mean?

A: The nutrition label indicates that one cup of yogurt has 400 milligrams of calcium, or 40 percent of the Daily Value for calcium, which is 1,000 milligrams.

Nutrition information, including product labels, can be confusing! There are RDAs, Daily Values and DRIs.  All three are part of a system of nutrition recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS).

NAS established the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) during World War II to investigate issues of nutrition that might "affect national defense."  NAS formed a committee to set recommendations for a standard daily allowance for each essential nutrient. This set of 1941 guidelines, called Recommended Dietary Allowances, was meant to provide superior nutrition for civilians and military personnel. The Food and Nutrition Board revises the RDAs every five years.

Then in the early 1950s, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) added a new set of guidelines that also included the number of servings from each food group in order to make it easier for people to receive their RDAs of each nutrient.

The Daily Value (DV) is based on the RDAs and is used for food product nutrition labels. Current food labels must list the “Percent Daily Value" for calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C in a standard serving; other nutrients are optional.

The United States and Canada use the RDA and DV systems. They are intended for the public and health professionals to:

• Composition of diets for schools, prisons, hospitals or nursing homes
• Industries developing new food stuffs
• Healthcare policy makers and public health officials

The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) was introduced in 1997 in order to broaden the existing guidelines already established by the RDAs.  DRIs are made up of the following:

• Estimated Average Requirements (EAR) - Expected to satisfy the needs of 50 percent of the people in that age group.
• Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) - The daily dietary intake level of a nutrient considered sufficient to meet the requirements of nearly all (97 percent to 98 percent) healthy individuals in each life-stage and gender group.
• Adequate Intake (AI) - Where no RDA has been established, the amount established is somewhat less firmly believed to be adequate for everyone in the demographic group.
• Tolerable upper intake levels (UL) - To caution against excessive intake of nutrients (like vitamin D) that can be harmful in large amounts.

DRIs are not currently used in nutrition labeling.

While most RDAs and DRIs vary by age and gender, the Daily Value is a single number, simplified for use on labels. The RDA for calcium for adults ages 19 to 50 is 1,000 milligrams, the same as the Daily Value. The RDA is 1,200 milligrams for those 51 and older, and 1,300 for children 9 to 18. Thus, if you are older than 50, the yogurt provides only about one-third of your daily calcium needs, not 40 percent as the label says. Still, the "Percent Daily Value" gives you a ballpark idea of what you’re consuming.