There is an ongoing increase in the availability of foods fortified with micronutrients and dietary supplements.
This may result in differing intakes of micronutrients within the population and perhaps larger differences in
intakes. Insight into population micronutrient intakes and evaluation of too low or too high intakes is
required to see whether there are potential problems regarding inadequacy or excessive intakes. Too low
population intakes are evaluated against an estimated average requirement; potential too high population
intakes are evaluated against a tolerable upper intake level (UL). Additional health effects, seriousness, and
incidence of these health effects are not considered but these can be taken into account in a benefit-risk
assessment. Furthermore, authorities would like to regulate food fortification and supplementation in such a
way that most of the population is not at risk of potentially high intakes. Several models are available for
estimating maximum levels of micronutrients for food fortification and dietary supplements. Policy makers
and risk managers need to decide how to divide the ‘free space’ between food fortification and/or dietary
supplements, while protecting populations from adverse health effects.