ArticleEFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority2024
Scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level for iron.
Article in EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Approach to anaemia in gastrointestinal disease: A position paper by the ESPGHAN Gastroenterology Committee.Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition · 2025Guideline
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- Evaluation of dietary iron exposure across iron compounds and fortification levels in Saudi Arabia: simulation modeling study.BMC nutrition · 2026Article
- BiofortifiedMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Nutrition, Physical Activity and Other Health Aspects Before and During Pregnancy - Recommendations by the Nationwide "Healthy Start Network" (Netzwerk Gesund ins Leben) 2026.Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde · 2026Article
- ICP-MS determination of trace metals in commercial cornflakes from the UAE market.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Food and Drug Administration Expert Panel on Infant Formula "Operation Stork Speed" June 2025: Part 1, Nutrient Considerations.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2026Review
- Essential Trace Elements in Edible Plants: Balancing Nutritional Benefits and Potential Health Risks.Journal of agricultural and food chemistry · 2026Article
- Core-shell microneedles with MMP/pH-triggered release for periodontitis bone repair.Journal of nanobiotechnology · 2026Article
- Evaluation of the Elemental Composition of Dietary Supplements Containing Iron Available on the Polish Market Using ICP-OES, FAAS and CVAAS Techniques.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Article
- Exploring Spent Coffee Grounds: Comprehensive Morphological Analysis and Chemical Characterization for Potential Uses.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Guidance for establishing and applying tolerable upper intake levels for vitamins and essential minerals.EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority · 2024Article
- Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance elemental iron.EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority · 2024Review
- Assessment of genetically modified maize DP910521 (application GMFF-2021-2473).EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority · 2024Article
- Safety of soy leghemoglobin from genetically modifiedEFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority · 2024Article
- Beyond deficiency: The emerging health risks of excess iron.Science progressArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
24 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for iron. Systematic reviews were conducted to identify evidence regarding high iron intakes and risk of chronic diseases, adverse gastrointestinal effects and adverse effects of iron supplementation in infancy, young childhood and pregnancy. It is established that systemic iron overload leads to organ toxicity, but no UL could be established. The only indicator for which a dose-response could be established was black stools, which reflect the presence of large amounts of unabsorbed iron in the gut. This is a conservative endpoint among the chain of events that may lead to systemic iron overload but is not adverse per se. Based on interventions in which black stools did not occur at supplemental iron intakes of 20-25 mg/day (added to a background intake of 15 mg/day), a safe level of intake for iron of 40 mg/day for adults (including pregnant and lactating women) was established. Using allometric scaling (body weight
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Registered trials
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