What are DRIs vs. RDAs vs. RDIs vs. DRVs vs. DVs?
The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) system of recommended nutrient intakes expands upon and adds to the older Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) system, and the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) and Daily Reference Values (DRV) merge the DRI/RDA data to determine the Percent Daily Value (%DV) for the Nutrition Facts Label.
The Percent Daily Value (%DV) amounts on your Nutrition Facts label show you how much of a nutrient one serving of your food product contributes to the recommended total daily intake of that nutrient - the Daily Value (DV).
The DV is how much of a nutrient a person should consume, or not exceed, in a single day. It is comprised of two sets of the Daily Reference Values (DRVs) and the Reference Daily Intakes (RDIs).
The DRVs specifically apply to the core nutrients, like fat, carbs, protein, fiber, etc.
The RDIs apply to vitamins and minerals.
Data for the DRVs and RDIs come primarily from the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI), a comprehensive system of nutrient reference values that define nutritional requirements for different age groups and genders. The DRIs take into account:
- Estimated Average Requirements (EARs) for each nutrient
- Estimated Energy Requirements (EERs) for each nutrient
- Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for each nutrient
- Adequate Intakes (AIs) for each nutrient
All of these recommendations are merged into one much simpler recommendation system based on the average adult eating 2000 calories per day – the DVs.
Note: For nutrition labeling, the focus is on the DVs. The DRIs are more useful for creating diets for individuals or specific populations, like nursing home residents or students.