In the past 25 years, mineral fertilization increased considerably in the GDR in the course of the intensification of plant production. This happened on the basis of computer-assisted advice on mineral fertilizing and resulted in the improvement of the mineral contents of the soil and also in a considerable increase in crop yields, the mineral contents typical of the respective plants remaining mostly unchanged or being in part increased. During the same period, the proportion of vegetable foods in the mineral supply to man decreased due to changes in food habits. Nevertheless, most of the P, K and Mg consumed in the nutrition still originates from vegetable products; only in case of Ca, milk is the main course. In the course of this development, the amounts of P, K and Ca consumed in the human nutrition increased, whereas the amount of Mg remained almost unchanged. There is some evidence of the (at last potential) danger of an insufficient supply of Ca and Mg. As the intensive plant production in the GDR furnishes high-mineral crops in sufficient quantity, a better supply of these minerals might be realized by reducing the losses due to processing (extraction rate of cereals, preservation) and by changing the food habits (more vegetable foods, greens).