Developing micronutrient reference values: prioritization of tool development by the EURRECA Network of Excellence

Abstract

Objectives: The EURRECA Network of Excellence is developing standardized methods that will guide the alignment of micronutrient reference values (RVs) across Europe. A consultation process to identify and prioritize the best practice, 'tools' or guidance for EURRECA was undertaken. Subjects/Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 90 individuals with experience of setting or using RVs. Respondents were asked to rank the usefulness of each type of possible guidance. Results: In all, 52% of individuals returned completed questionnaires. For the planning process, the most needed guidance was on the best way to assess the 'status quo' of RVs; what to cover, setting priorities, how to take into consideration the diverse needs of the users; and making the whole process transparent. The most needed guidance for the active stage of development was how to obtain valid and robust data on intakes and status to use as a base for RVs; how to account for food-related factors; how to incorporate results of systematic reviews; how to identify unbiased and independent reviews and make decisions if evidence is conflicting; methods to 'weight' the evidence; and formats or concepts to convert scientific requirements into RVs. Users of RVs required guidance on communication, codes of practice to raise professional and public awareness, making them easy to use in the intended way. Conclusions: The questionnaire responses provided views from a wide range of experts on the most needed 'tools' and standardized methodologies for the process of reviewing micronutrient RVs. This will help the EURRECA Network of Excellence to prioritize resources.

Prioritizing micronutrients for the purpose of reviewing their requirements: a protocol developed by EURRECA

“…Many advisory bodies responsible for setting recommendations acknowledge that (changes in) public health consequences and new scientific evidence are important indicators for prioritizing micronutrients for revision, but they do not use transparent 'a priori' criteria. The need to incorporate transparent 'a priori' criteria into strategies for future reviews of micronutrient recommendations has recently been highlighted by several international groups of researchers (Lambert and Ashwell, 2010;Yetley et al, 2009).…”

Approaches to setting dietary reference values for micronutrients, and translation into recommendations

“…The European micronutrient recommendations aligned network of excellence (http://www.eurreca.org) was set up to consider a process for the re-evaluation and harmonisation of nutrient reference standards across Europe. Early work focused on developing standardised methodologies for reviewing nutrient reverence values looks promising (64,65) . More recently, interest has revived not only in the mechanism whereby harmonisation of approaches might be reached, but to include the harmonisation of values themselves (66) .…”

Evidences to validate public policies: a review with an international research perspective

“…49 In this sense, nutrient profiling necessarily involves prioritization of nutrients. 43,50 In framing the EU Directive for nutrition labeling, 48 two types of nutrition label content were permitted, if nutrition labeling was provided for food packaging: energy, protein, fat and carbohydrate (the Big 4) or energy value, amounts of protein, carbohydrate, sugars, fats, saturates, fibre and sodium (the Big 8).…”