in France: the first edition was published in 1981 [8], the second one in 1992 [9] and the last edition in 2001 [12]. The latter edition results from work carried out over four years by 89 specialists and was reviewed by more than one hundred experts. By contrast, the United States have recently published the 11th edition of their national references [11]. However, this delay does not represent an exception in Europe: publications on this topic have only been found in Italy [17], Germany (in association with INTRODUCTIONThe ANC or "apports nutritionnels conseillés" for the French population are reference values which are used in France to assess the nutritional quality of actual dietary intakes of populations or groups, for its adequacy to physiological requirements, or to conceive diets or foods to satisfy these requirements.From a historical point of view, the elaboration of such references has been delayed Review articleThe "apports nutritionnels conseillés (ANC)"for the French population Abstract -The apports nutritionnels conseillés (ANC) for the French population are the reference which are used in France to assess the nutritional status of the population. These references have been elaborated by a transparent and collective expert process, conferring on them an official reference. The originality of the French method was to add to the classical analysis of each nutrient an analysis concerning both a global approach to specific groups (children, pregnant women, elderly people, sportsmen) and the links between nutrients and foods. Many original works, which have been specifically performed for this revision, highlight the absolute need for rigorous evaluation of food consumption patterns and for valuable food composition tables.

On the basis of a few key nutrients, it is possible to predict the ability of a given food to facilitate -- or to impair -- the fulfillment of a large number of nutrient recommendations.