Standards for nutritional adequacy of the diet: European and WHO/FAO viewpoints

The dietary recommendations of FAO/WHO and of the various European nations differ in several ways. There are two types of dietary recommendations or standards. The first is related to the recommended daily intake of nutrient and the second refers to the nutrient content of the diet expressed either as percentage of total energy (energy % or cal %) derived from protein, fat, and carbohydrate or as the amounts of nutrients in relation to units of energy, the so-called nutrient concentration or nutrient density (weight per 1000 kcal, per 1 MJ or per 10 MJ). The numbers of recommended nutrients vary between eight and 28. The recommendations are given for individuals of different age, sex, and physiological status. The highest number of subgrouping is 41 and the lowest 11. The ranges of recommended values are sometimes very wide, but all seem acceptable from the nutritional point of view. There are many good reasons for this situation such as cultural background, food tradition, food production, and availability.