The Scientific Committee has, at the request of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, evaluated the intake of phosphorus in the Norwegian population. VKM has also evaluated the consequences of amending maximum limits for phosphorus in food supplements to 1000, 2000 or 2500 mg/day. Today's limit is 1500 mg daily.

EFSA opinion on upper intake levels for phosphorus

The European Food Safety Authority, EFSA, concluded in 2005 that there was insufficient data to establish tolerable upper intake levels for phosphorus. However, data indicate that healthy adults can tolerate up to 3000 mg per day from Food, drink and dietary supplements.

EFSA also stated that phosphorus from dietary supplements should not exceed 750 mg per day because higher doses have been reported to cause gastrointestinal disorders.

EFSA did not suggest any upper tolerable intake levels for children or for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Exceeds all suggested doses

VKM suggests that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority uses 3000 mg per day as a temporary tolerable upper intake level for phosphorus for adults from food, drink and dietary supplements, and that 750 mg per day is set as the upper level for dietary supplements.

-All the doses that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has asked us to evaluate exceed this level, says Alice Margaretha Haugen, who has been the head of the work at the VKM.

The assessment is conducted by the Panel on nutrition, dietetic products, novel food and allergy.