Iodine — FDA Daily Value

The FDA Daily Value for Iodine is 150 mcg for adults and children 4 or more years of age — a Reference Daily Intake (RDI), a fixed target not tied to calories. It changes by population group; see the exact numbers below.

Population group
Daily Value
Low (5% of DV)
High (20% of DV)
Adults & children 4+
150 mcg
7.5 mcg
30 mcg
Children 1–3 years
90 mcg
4.5 mcg
18 mcg
Pregnant & lactating
290 mcg
14.5 mcg
58 mcg
Infants 0–12 months
130 mcg
6.5 mcg
26 mcg
Example

A serving with 45 mcg of iodine provides 45 ÷ 150 × 100 = 30% DV (High).

Iodine rounding rules

Amount

Iodine is declared to the nearest 1mcg — measuring finer than that changes nothing on the label.

Amount rounding rules for this nutrient, with the paragraph of 21 CFR 101.9 that sets them
Amount rangeRounding rule
≥0nearest 1mcg
Source

% Daily Value

% Daily Value rounding rules for this nutrient, with the paragraph of 21 CFR 101.9 that sets them
%DV rangeRounding rule
0 to 10nearest 2%
>10 to 50nearest 5%
>50nearest 10%
Source

How much Iodine is behind each %DV?

What a serving has to contain for a label to print each figure. The %DV is worked out from the actual amount, before that amount is rounded.

How much Iodine a serving must contain for a label to print each %DV
If the label showsThe serving must contain
Nearest 2%0 to 10% DV
0% DV0 mcg≤ amount <1.5 mcg
2% DV1.5 mcg≤ amount <4.5 mcg
4% DV4.5 mcg≤ amount <7.5 mcg
6% DV7.5 mcg≤ amount <10.5 mcg
8% DV10.5 mcg≤ amount <13.5 mcg
10% DV13.5 mcg≤ amount <18.75 mcg
Nearest 5%>10 to 50% DV
15% DV18.75 mcg≤ amount <26.25 mcg
20% DV26.25 mcg≤ amount <33.75 mcg
25% DV33.75 mcg≤ amount <41.25 mcg
30% DV41.25 mcg≤ amount <48.75 mcg
35% DV48.75 mcg≤ amount <56.25 mcg
40% DV56.25 mcg≤ amount <63.75 mcg
45% DV63.75 mcg≤ amount <71.25 mcg
50% DV71.25 mcg≤ amount <82.5 mcg
Nearest 10%>50% DV
60% DV82.5 mcg≤ amount <97.5 mcg
70% DV97.5 mcg≤ amount <112.5 mcg
80% DV112.5 mcg≤ amount <127.5 mcg
90% DV127.5 mcg≤ amount <142.5 mcg
100% DV142.5 mcg≤ amount <157.5 mcg

The rules are FDA's; the inversion is ours. Ranges are inclusive at the low end and exclusive at the high end, because an exact half rounds up.

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Frequently asked questions

Every figure on this page traces to a paragraph of 21 CFR 101.9. These are those paragraphs, in full.

What is the FDA Daily Value for Iodine?

The FDA Daily Value for Iodine is 150 mcg for adults and children 4 years and older, per 21 CFR 101.9. On a Nutrition Facts label, a serving's %DV for iodine is its amount divided by 150 mcg, times 100.

How are vitamin and mineral %DV values rounded?

The percentages for vitamins and minerals shall be expressed to the nearest 2-percent increment up to and including the 10-percent level, the nearest 5-percent increment above 10 percent and up to and including the 50-percent level, and the nearest 10-percent increment above the 50-percent level.

Note: Amount increments for vitamins and minerals come from FDA Guidance 2018/2019, not from CFR text.

Read on eCFR

Where do the Daily Values for vitamins and minerals come from?

The following RDIs, nomenclature, and units of measure are established for the following vitamins and minerals which are essential in human nutrition:

Note: The Daily Value itself is listed in the RDI table this paragraph introduces, not restated as prose.

Read on eCFR

How do I find out how much iodine is in a food?

A Daily Value is a reference target, not a measurement of any particular food. To find the iodine content of a specific ingredient or product, look it up in USDA FoodData Central, then use that amount here to see what a label would declare and what %DV it carries.

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Other nutrients

Every nutrient a Nutrition Facts label can carry, with the FDA rounding rules that govern it.

For informational purposes only; verify against § 101.9(c)(8)(iv). · US Nutrition Label Rules v1.3.0 · CFR snapshot 2026-02-12

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