Copper
US Daily Value for adults: 0.9 mg · unit on labels: mg
US labels state copper in mg; the NIH fact sheet prints its intake values in mcg (900 mcg is 0.9 mg). EFSA's Scientific Committee re-evaluated copper in 2023 (EFSA Journal, doi 10.2903/j.efsa.2023.7728) and kept 5 mg/day as the upper level for adults. Values below are quoted as each source prints them.
Reference intakes
| Value | United States | China | European Union |
|---|---|---|---|
| Label reference valueBasis of the % on labels, fixed by each regulation; not a recommended intake | 0.9 mgDV · Adults and children 4+1 | 1.5 mg; 0.8 mg from 16 March 2027 (GB 28050-2025)NRV3 | 1 mgNRV5 |
| Recommended intake, adults | 900 mcgRDA · Adults 19+2 | 0.8 mg (18–74), 0.7 mg (75+)RNI · Adults 18+4 | 1.6 mg (men), 1.3 mg (women)AI6 |
| Upper intake level | 10,000 mcgUL · Adults 19+2 | 8 mgUL · Adults 18+4 | 5 mgUL7 |
- FDA, 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv), Daily Values for adults and children 4 years and older
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Copper 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)
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII Part A, nutrient reference values (consolidated text) (2011)
- EFSA NDA Panel, Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for copper (2015)
- EFSA, Tolerable upper intake levels for vitamins and minerals (Scientific Committee on Food / NDA Panel) (2006)
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.