Dietary Reference Intakes Development

Dietary reference intakes (DRIs) are an important scientific underpinning to work related to nutritional health and safety at both the population and individual levels. The United States and Canada have collaborated since the mid-1990s to provide joint support for developing DRI values. The independent National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) oversees this development process.

The DRI Development Process

The governments of the United States and Canada jointly provide the funding to the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to develop DRIs but don’t participate in the review process.

NASEM is an organization that provides independent scientific advice. It has no institutional self-interest in any reports it produces beyond maintaining its reputation for independence and sound scientific reports.

For each nutrient review, NASEM appoints a committee of scientific experts from both the United States and Canada. NASEM carefully screens committee members for conflicts of interest. The expert committee then:

Reviews the latest science using systematic reviews of the scientific literature and other relevant studies
Selects the health outcomes that will inform the DRIs
- The different types of DRI values are based on different types of health outcomes. The ones that have the strongest and most relevant evidence are used.
Establishes the DRI values
Describes special considerations and public health implications
Identifies knowledge gaps and areas where further research is needed

NASEM reports undergo independent peer review before publication to help ensure scientific quality and objectivity.

NASEM publishes the work of the expert committees in the dietary reference intake reports.

Joint U.S.-Canada Dietary Reference Intakes Working Group (DRI Working Group)

The science and research behind nutrients, foods, and their impact on health is expanding rapidly in scope and complexity. The DRI Working Group collaborates to:

Coordinate discussions on priorities and future work needed
Access an expanded base of specialized scientific expertise
Coordinate and efficiently use the funding and resources available

International trade agreements also make harmonizing standards based on science useful for trade-related matters such as food labeling.

Chronology of Nutrient Standards and DRI Development in the United States

Start of nutrient standards
1941	First edition of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) published in the United States.
1989	10th edition of the RDAs published in the United States.
DRI process begins
1993	The Institute of Medicine (IOM), later integrated into the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), holds a symposium and public hearing entitled “Should the Recommended Dietary Allowances Be Revised?” IOM proposes changes to the process of developing the RDAs based on comments and suggestions from this meeting.
1994	IOM publishes the concept paper “How Should the Recommended Dietary Allowances Be Revised?” IOM holds workshops at which experts discuss development of nutrient-based reference values.
1995 (December)	IOM establishes a standing committee on the scientific evaluation of DRIs to oversee and conduct the project to develop DRIs. Project structure includes: Nutrient expert panels made up of Canadian and U.S. scientists 2 overarching subcommittees
1996	Subcommittee on upper reference levels of nutrients established. First nutrient panel, on calcium and related nutrients, established.
1997	IOM issues first nutrient report on calcium and related nutrients.
1998	Subcommittee on interpretation and uses of DRIs established.
1998–2005	Reports released on: Other nutrient groups: B vitamins; antioxidants; micronutrients; energy and macronutrients; electrolytes and water Applications in assessment Applications in planning Risk assessment model for developing ULs Definition and plan for review of antioxidants Definition of dietary fiber Guiding principles for nutrition labeling and fortification
2006	Summary of the series “DRIs: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements” published.
2007	U.S. and Canadian governments support a public workshop entitled “The Development of DRIs 1994–2004: Lessons Learned and New Challenges.” The workshop identified issues important for enhancing the process of DRI development into the future, as well as the application of the values.
2009	Based on the availability of new and relevant scientific research, U.S. and Canadian governments prioritize vitamin D and calcium to undergo a new DRI review. This DRI review is the first to incorporate systematic evidence-based review of the literature.
2011	IOM publishes report containing updated DRI values for calcium and vitamin D.
2013	The U.S. and Canadian governments establish an open nutrient nomination process to help in planning and prioritizing new DRI reviews of nutrients. The process was open to government and nongovernmental organizations. 26 nominations on 16 nutrients were received.
2014	4 nominated nutrients prioritized for further consideration: omega-3 fatty acids, sodium, magnesium, and vitamin E. The need to resolve issues related to use of chronic disease endpoints in setting DRI values is identified.
2015	IOM is renamed as the National Academy of Medicine and integrated into the renamed National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).
2015–2016	Canadian and U.S. governments hold a workshop entitled “Options for Consideration of Chronic Disease Endpoints for Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs).” A multidisciplinary expert working group sponsored by Canadian and U.S. governments builds on the workshop. It develops a report that presents options to address conceptual and methodological challenges related to this topic: “Options for Basing Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) on Chronic Disease Endpoints: Report from a Joint U.S./Canadian-Sponsored Working Group.”
2017 (August)	NASEM publishes a report on “Guiding Principles for Developing Dietary Reference Intakes Based on Chronic Disease.”
2017	U.S. and Canadian governments prioritize sodium and potassium to undergo a new DRI review. This DRI review is the first to incorporate the “Guiding Principles for Developing Dietary Reference Intakes Based on Chronic Disease.”
2019	NASEM publishes report containing updated DRI values for sodium and potassium.
2021	U.S. and Canadian governments prioritize energy and macronutrients to undergo a new DRI review.
2023	NASEM publishes report containing updated DRI values for energy.