Key points
- NRV stands for nutrient reference value. The %NRV column on a UK supplement label shows how the amount of a vitamin or mineral in the recommended portion compares with a reference figure set in law.
- The reference figures come from Annex XIII of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, which still applies in Great Britain as assimilated law.
- A %NRV is a comparison, not a target or a score.
- Only vitamins and minerals on the reference list have an NRV. Other ingredients have none, so there is no percentage to print.
What does NRV mean? NRV means nutrient reference value: a fixed reference amount for a vitamin or mineral, used so that labels can be compared on the same scale. The %NRV column shows the amount in the recommended portion as a percentage of that reference. This guide explains where the figures come from, how to read them and what they leave out.
NRV in one sentence
An NRV is the reference amount for one vitamin or mineral that UK labeling law uses as the 100% mark when a label expresses an amount as a percentage.
The Department of Health and Social Care's technical guidance on nutrition labeling describes NRVs as guidelines about the amount of vitamins and minerals it is recommended to consume each day to maintain a healthy diet. In other words, the reference relates to your diet as a whole, not to any single product.
Where NRVs come from in UK law
The NRVs used on UK labels are listed in point 1 of Part A of Annex XIII to Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, the regulation on the provision of food information to consumers. The list covers 13 vitamins and 14 minerals. A selection is shown below.
| Vitamin or mineral | NRV (Annex XIII) |
|---|---|
| Vitamin A | 800µg |
| Vitamin D | 5µg |
| Vitamin C | 80mg |
| Niacin (vitamin B3) | 16mg |
| Folic acid | 200µg |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.5µg |
| Calcium | 800mg |
| Iron | 14mg |
| Zinc | 10mg |
| Iodine | 150µg |
For food supplements, a second set of rules matters. The Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003 require a supplement's label to give the amount of each vitamin, mineral or other substance with a nutritional or physiological effect in numbers, per the portion the label recommends for consumption each day. For a vitamin or mineral on the Annex XIII list, that amount must also be shown as a percentage of its reference value. That percentage is the %NRV column. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own equivalent regulations.
The general nutrition table you see on other foods, with energy, fat and sugars, is a different set of rules. The DHSC guidance notes that those nutrition labeling rules do not apply to food supplements, which have their own.
How to read the %NRV column
A typical supplement label has three columns: the name of the nutrient, the amount per recommended portion, and the %NRV. Read them left to right. The amount tells you how much is in the portion. The percentage tells you how that amount compares with the reference figure for that nutrient.
Working out a percentage yourself
Divide the amount per portion by the NRV, then multiply by 100. As an illustration only, not a real product: a label listing 8mg of vitamin C per portion would show 10%, because the NRV for vitamin C is 80mg.
Check the units before you divide. Some NRVs are in milligrams (mg) and others in micrograms (µg), and 1mg is 1,000µg.
A percentage is a comparison, not a score. Because the reference relates to intake from the whole diet, a higher %NRV does not make one product better than another, and 100% is not a target for any single product. If you are unsure whether an amount is right for you, ask a pharmacist or GP.
NRV, RDA and RNI: three terms that get mixed up
| Term | Stands for | Where you see it | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRV | Nutrient reference value | Current UK food and supplement labels | The reference amounts listed in Annex XIII, used for the percentage column |
| RDA | Recommended daily allowance | Older labels | The term used under the earlier EU nutrition labeling directive, which has since been repealed |
| RNI | Reference nutrient intake | UK dietary advice, not labels | UK reference values set separately for each age and sex group |
The terms answer different questions. An NRV is a single figure per nutrient for adults in general, chosen so labels can be compared. An RNI belongs to dietary advice: the UK's Government Dietary Recommendations set out values by age and sex, so the figure for one group can differ from the figure for another, and from the NRV. If two numbers for the same vitamin do not match, check which of the three terms each one is.
Why some ingredients have no NRV
The Annex XIII list contains vitamins and minerals only. Anything else, such as amino acids, plant extracts or NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), has no reference value on that list, so there is no percentage to print.
The absence of an NRV is not a judgment about an ingredient either way. It means only that the ingredient is not one of the vitamins and minerals on the reference list. Where an ingredient has no NRV, a label can only give its amount as a number, with no percentage beside it.
Total per pack versus amount per serving
The %NRV column always refers to the recommended portion. A figure on the front of a pack can be something else: the total in the whole container.
Our own product is an example. NAD+ Sublingual Drops contain 3000mg of NAD+ in total per 30ml bottle. That figure is the whole bottle. It is not the amount in a single serving, and this article gives no serving details for the product. Because NAD+ is not on the Annex XIII list, there is no %NRV to set against the figure.
When you compare products, compare like with like: a total with a total, or an amount per portion with an amount per portion.
A short label-reading checklist
- Find the words "food supplement". UK rules require a supplement to be sold under that name. Our guide to what a food supplement is explains the legal definition.
- Check whether a figure is per portion or per pack.
- Check the units: mg and µg differ by a factor of 1,000.
- Read each %NRV as a comparison with a reference, not as a target.
- For ingredients with no NRV, look for the amount given in numbers.
- If you take more than one product, the same vitamin can appear in several. Ask a pharmacist or GP if you are unsure.
For the other parts of a label, see how to read a supplement label. For what a laboratory document can and cannot show, see how to read a certificate of analysis. Our Science page explains what NAD+ is.
Frequently asked questions
What does NRV stand for?
Nutrient reference value. It is the reference amount for a vitamin or mineral that UK labels use for the %NRV column. The values are listed in Annex XIII of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011.
Is NRV the same as RDA?
They are different terms from different rules. RDA was the term under an earlier EU labeling directive that has been repealed. Current UK labels use NRVs from Annex XIII.
Why does my supplement show no %NRV for some ingredients?
Because only the vitamins and minerals on the Annex XIII list have an NRV. Other ingredients have no reference value, so the label gives their amount in numbers without a percentage.
Sources
- legislation.gov.uk: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the provision of food information to consumers, Annex XIII
- Department of Health and Social Care: Technical guidance on nutrition labelling
- legislation.gov.uk: The Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003
- Public Health England: Government Dietary Recommendations
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Family Food methodology, Nutrient Intakes
- legislation.gov.uk: Commission Directive 2008/100/EC amending Council Directive 90/496/EEC on nutrition labelling for foodstuffs as regards recommended daily allowances, energy conversion factors and definitions (repealed)
- Food Standards Agency: Food supplements
