Dietary Reference Values (DRVs)

    OCR
    GCSE

    Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) constitute the scientific framework for assessing nutritional requirements within the UK population. Candidates must understand that DRVs are estimates of the energy and nutrient requirements for groups of healthy people, not recommendations for individuals. Mastery of this topic requires distinguishing between Estimated Average Requirement (EAR), Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI), and Lower Reference Nutrient Intake (LRNI). Analysis must extend to how these values inform public health policy, food labelling legislation, and the modification of recipes to meet specific life-stage needs, particularly for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, infants, and the elderly.

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    Objectives
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    Exam Tips
    3
    Pitfalls
    3
    Key Terms
    4
    Mark Points

    Learning Objectives

    What you need to know and understand

    • RNI (Reference Nutrient Intake) ensures sufficiency for 97.5% of the population
    • EAR (Estimated Average Requirement) meets the needs of 50% of the population
    • Energy requirements peak during adolescence due to rapid growth and high activity
    • Iron RNI for women (19-50) is higher (14.8mg) than men (8.7mg) due to menstruation
    • Calcium RNI for adolescents (11-18) is 800-1000mg to support peak bone mass accumulation

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Award marks for accurate definitions of EAR, RNI, and LRNI without confusing them with Reference Intakes (RI)
    • Credit responses that specifically link nutrient functions to life-stage requirements (e.g., Iron for menstruation in teenage girls)
    • Candidates must analyse nutritional data provided in tables to identify deficiencies or excesses against DRVs
    • Reward justification of recipe modifications that specifically address an identified DRV imbalance

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Always quote data from the provided nutritional tables to support your analysis
    • 💡Distinguish clearly between macro-nutrient needs (energy) and micro-nutrient needs (health protection)
    • 💡When discussing energy, explicitly link BMR and PAL (Physical Activity Level) to the DRV
    • 💡Use precise units: grams (g) for macros, milligrams (mg) or micrograms (µg) for micros

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Confusing DRVs (population measures) with RIs (food labelling guidance)
    • Stating that RNI is the minimum requirement rather than an amount sufficient for 97.5% of the population
    • Providing generic health advice (e.g., 'eat more fruit') instead of specific nutrient-based analysis

    Study Guide Available

    Comprehensive revision notes & examples

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    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    State
    Explain
    Analyse
    Evaluate
    Calculate
    Justify

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