Choline
US Daily Value for adults: 550 mg · unit on labels: mg
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 has no nutrient reference value for choline, so EU labels carry no percentage for it and the EU label cell is empty. EFSA set adequate intakes for choline in 2016 but lists no tolerable upper intake level for it. The DRIs 2023 summary tables print choline in the RNI column without an AI mark and list no EAR; the value is quoted as printed.
Reference intakes
| Value | United States | China | European Union |
|---|---|---|---|
| Label reference valueBasis of the % on labels, fixed by each regulation; not a recommended intake | 550 mgDV · Adults and children 4+1 | 450 mg; 500 mg from 16 March 2027 (GB 28050-2025)NRV3 | Not listed |
| Recommended intake, adults | 550 mg (men), 425 mg (women)AI · Adults 19+2 | 450 mg (men), 380 mg (women)RNI · Adults 18+4 | 400 mgAI5 |
| Upper intake level | 3,500 mgUL · Adults 19+2 | 3000 mgUL · Adults 18+4 | Not listed |
- FDA, 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv), Daily Values for adults and children 4 years and older
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Choline fact sheet for health professionals (2022)
- GB 28050-2011 General rules for nutrition labelling of prepackaged foods, Appendix A nutrient reference values (NRV); revised value from GB 28050-2025, Appendix A (published 16 March 2025, in force 16 March 2027) (2025)
- Chinese Nutrition Society, Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs 2023) (2023)
- EFSA NDA Panel, Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for choline (2016)
Label values (DV, NRV) are the reference points behind the percentages on labels. Recommended intakes and upper levels are quoted from the bodies named; they vary by age, sex and life stage, and they are not advice.