Which forms and doses apply to zinc supplements?
Direct answer
Directive 2002/46/EC distinguishes permitted zinc forms from amounts: the database reads 16 mineral forms, a French maximum daily dose of 15 mg and an adult UL of 25 mg/j. These three items have different scopes. [eu-forms] [fr-dose] [efsa]
Regulatory status
Permitted under conditions The database records 15 mg per day for zinc, from the published Annex III of the French order of 9 May 2006. [fr-dose]
Scientific opinion The EFSAEuropean Food Safety Authority. table of August 2025 reports the adult value of 25 mg/day, referenced as “SCF, 2002c”, for total chronic intake from all dietary sources. [efsa]
The original SCF document is dated 19 March 2003 on its cover and states an opinion expressed on 5 March 2003; page 2 prints 5 March 2002. The EFSA summary reference “SCF, 2002c” is retained as a label, without silently resolving the date inconsistency. [efsa] [scf-original]
Restrictions and conditions of use
The forms below come from Annex II B, not just forms observed in declared products. Listing does not waive purity criteria or other requirements for the finished supplement. [eu-forms]
zinc acetate [eu-forms]
zinc L-ascorbate [eu-forms]
zinc L-aspartate [eu-forms]
zinc bisglycinate [eu-forms]
zinc chloride [eu-forms]
zinc citrate [eu-forms]
zinc gluconate [eu-forms]
zinc lactate [eu-forms]
zinc L-lysinate [eu-forms]
zinc malate [eu-forms]
zinc mono-L-methionine sulphate [eu-forms]
zinc oxide [eu-forms]
zinc carbonate [eu-forms]
zinc L-pidolate [eu-forms]
zinc picolinate [eu-forms]
zinc sulphate [eu-forms]
Dated primary sources
Directive 2002/46/CE, annexe II B. Text : 2002-06-10. Consolidated version : 2025-11-26. Consulted : 2026-10-31. Annexe II, partie B, bloc zinc complet ; article 4 lu ; édition officielle indexée confrontée au téléchargement officiel..
Sixteen zinc forms are listed in Part B of Annex II. Article 4 governs usable forms and their purity criteria.
zinc acetate
zinc L-ascorbate
zinc L-aspartate
zinc bisglycinate
zinc chloride
zinc citrate
zinc gluconate
zinc lactate
zinc L-lysinate
zinc malate
zinc mono-L-methionine sulphate
zinc oxide
zinc carbonate
zinc L-pidolate
zinc picolinate
zinc sulphateArrêté français du 9 mai 2006, zinc. Text : 2006-05-09. Consulted : 2026-10-31. Annexe III, rubrique 2, zinc ; la page consolidée et la ligne fr_nutrient_max sont distinguées..
The database records 15 mg per day for zinc, from the published Annex III of the French order of 9 May 2006.
DOSES JOURNALIÈRES MAXIMALES
2. Minéraux
Zinc : 15 mg.EFSA, synthèse UL, version 11. Text : 2025-08. Consulted : 2026-10-31. Page 2, tableau 1, en-tête des populations et ligne zinc ; définition de l’UL page 1. Mois indiqué, jour inconnu. Extraits distincts de la même source..
The EFSA table of August 2025 reports the adult value of 25 mg/day, referenced as “SCF, 2002c”, for total chronic intake from all dietary sources.
Zinc mg/d 7 10 13 18 22 25 25 25 (SCF, 2002c)
from all dietary sourcesSCF, document original sur l’UL du zinc. Text : 2003-03-19. Consulted : 2026-10-31. Couverture, date et adoption ; page 2, date divergente. Extraits distincts..
The original SCF document is dated 19 March 2003 on its cover and states an opinion expressed on 5 March 2003; page 2 prints 5 March 2002. The EFSA summary reference “SCF, 2002c” is retained as a label, without silently resolving the date inconsistency.
19 March 2003
(expressed on 5 March 2003)
(expressed on 5 March 2002)Limits of the data
The UL is a scientific reference for total intake, not a legal EU limit per supplement or a recommended dose. The French dose is the national database row; this page does not assess an individual mutual-recognition dossier. [fr-dose] [efsa] [eu-forms]
Last verification
2026-10-31