Key message:
The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety proposes a tolerable upper intake level at 5 mg copper per day for adults. This is based on the conclusions set by the Scientific Committee on Food in 2003.
VKM points out that the potential adverse health effects from long term higher intakes of copper may be serious and irreversible.
VKM has also made scenario calculations to illustrate the consequences of changing maximum limits for copper in supplements to 1, 2 or 3 mg per day. Today's maximum limit is 4 mg per day.
Children and adolescents
The calculations show that adults and 13-year-olds who have a high intake of copper from regular food will exceed tolerable intake levels if they take daily supplements containing 3 mg copper or more. 9-year-olds will exceed the upper tolerable intake level if they take daily supplements containing 2 mg of copper.
Over 5 percent of younger children exceed the upper tolerable intake level without dietary supplements with copper.
The assessment is conducted by the Panel on Nutrition, Dietetic Products, Novel Food and Allergy.
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Vitenskapskomiteen for mat og miljø
The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment
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The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment
