CompoAtlas

Calcium in food supplements

3,951 supplements declared in France contain a form of this nutrient

Calcium: in France, a food supplement may not provide more than 800 mg a day (Order of 9 May 2006, not revised since November 2006, Annex III); for adults, EFSA's upper safe limit is 2,500 mg a day. The doses of the 2006 Order have not been revised since the amending Order of 14 November 2006, and some were annulled by the Conseil d'État in 2011; the DGCCRF accepted higher levels for some nutrients through guidelines published until January 2019, and an update of the Order is being prepared (ministerial answer published in the Official Journal on 11 February 2025).

Order of 9 May 2006, Annex III. French orders of 9 May 2006 and 14 November 2006 as published in the Official Journal (maximum daily doses), retrieved 21 October 2026.

EFSA, Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (version 11, August 2025), retrieved 21 October 2026.

Written Question No 2686, ministry answer published in the Official Journal on 11 February 2025.

What we know about this ingredient

Uses

  • AS INDUSTRIAL CATALYST FOR POLYESTER FIBERS

  • Alloying agent for aluminum, copper, and lead; reducing agent for beryllium; deoxidizer for alloys. Dehydrating oils Decarburization and desulfurization of iron and its alloys, getter in vacuum tubes. Separation of nitrogen from argon. Reducing agent in preparation of chromium metal powder, thorium, zirconium, and uranium. Fertilizer ingredient.

  • In metallurgy as deoxidizer for copper, beryllium, steel (together with silicon); to harden lead for bearings; alloyed with cerium to make flints for cigarette and gas lighters; in mfr of electronic vacuum tubes; as "getter" to fix residual gases as oxides, nitrides, hydrides of calcium

PubChem : Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) · 2026-10-29 · Hamilton, A., and H. L. Hardy. Industrial Toxicology. 3rd ed. Acton, Mass.: Publishing Sciences Group, Inc., 1974., p. 350; Lewis, R.J., Sr (Ed.). Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary. 13th ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1997., p. 192; Budavari, S. (ed.). The Merck Index - An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Biologicals. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck and Co., Inc., 1996., p. 270.

Licence.

A molecule found naturally in plants or organisms; in a supplement it may be extracted from them, made by fermentation or synthesised: the declaration does not say which.

Basis: one CosIngThe European Commission's database of cosmetic ingredients. CAS and natural occurrence recorded in Wikidata (LOTUS database).

Wikidata: names of substances in six languages and taxa in which they occur (largely from the LOTUS database), retrieved 23 October 2026.

Natural occurrence recorded in Wikidata (LOTUS database): 14 taxa; examples: Montanoa frutescens, Montanoa grandiflora, Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Foeniculum vulgare.

Wikidata: names of substances in six languages and taxa in which they occur (largely from the LOTUS database), retrieved 23 October 2026.

Manufacturing

  • Calcium is produced by high-temperature vacuum reduction with aluminum

  • Electrolysis of fused calcium chloride, by thermal process under high vacuum from lime reduced with aluminum.

  • Produced by electrolysis of calcium chloride: Rathenau, Suter, Ger. Pat. 155,433 (1903): Z Elektrochem 10, 502 (1904); Goodwin, J Am Chem Soc 27, 1403 (1905); also by thermal reduction of lime with aluminum, or with silicon. Prepn of pure metal for laboratory use: Whaley, Inorg Syn 6, 18 (1960). Purification of commercial material: Marshall, Whaley, ibid 24.

  • Redistillation is used to prepare calcium with a purity of 99+%

PubChem : Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) · 2026-10-29 · Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. 3rd ed., Volumes 1-26. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, 1978-1984., p. V4 414; Lewis, R.J., Sr (Ed.). Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary. 13th ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1997., p. 192; Budavari, S. (ed.). The Merck Index - An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Biologicals. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck and Co., Inc., 1996., p. 270.

Licence.

Appearance

  • Lustrous, silver-white surface (when freshly cut); face-centered cubic structure below 300 °C; acquires bluish-gray tarnish on exposure to moist air

  • Silvery-white metal

  • Calcium alloys, pyrophoric appears as a white to gray solid. Denser than water. Contact may cause burns to skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. May be toxic by ingestion. Used to make other chemicals.

  • Calcium appears as a silvery, soft metal that turns grayish white on exposure to air. Used in metallurgy.

PubChem : Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) · 2026-10-29 · Budavari, S. (ed.). The Merck Index - An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Biologicals. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck and Co., Inc., 1996., p. 270; Lide, D.R. (ed.). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. 79th ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press Inc., 1998-1999., p. 4-47.

Licence.

PubChem : CAMEO Chemicals · 2026-10-29 · https://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical/2764; https://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical/309.

Licence.

Associated research

ClinicalTrials.gov · A trial is not proof: it tests a hypothesis.

2026-11-01

Other names: calcio (Spanish), calcio (Italian), cálcio (Portuguese).

Wikidata: names of substances in six languages and taxa in which they occur (largely from the LOTUS database), retrieved 23 October 2026.

Same substance in cosmetics: CALCIUM.

In plain words

À quoi il sert, selon les fabricants

Objectifs les plus souvent annoncés pour les compléments qui en contiennent (calcium) : sport (688 produits), os (592 produits), immunité (442 produits), articulations (261 produits), digestion (247 produits).

Ce sont les objectifs déclarés par les fabricants à l'administration, pas des effets démontrés. Sur l'emballage, seules les allégations de santé autorisées par l'Union peuvent être écrites.

Compl'Alim, food supplement declarations (France), retrieved 23 October 2026.

Jusqu'où c'est sûr

Pour un adulte, l'EFSAEuropean Food Safety Authority. fixe la limite supérieure de sécurité à 2500 mg/j : c'est l'apport quotidien qui, pris sur le long terme, toutes sources alimentaires réunies, ne devrait pas provoquer d'effet indésirable. Au-delà, le risque augmente. Un complément n'est qu'une partie de l'apport.

EFSA, Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (version 11, August 2025), retrieved 21 October 2026.

La règle en France

En France, la dose journalière recommandée d'un complément ne doit pas apporter plus de 800 mg (arrêté du 9 mai 2006, non révisé depuis novembre 2006). Compl'Alim ne publie pas la dose des produits déclarés : comparez celle de l'étiquette à ce plafond et à la limite de sécurité de l'EFSA.

French orders of 9 May 2006 and 14 November 2006 as published in the Official Journal (maximum daily doses), retrieved 21 October 2026.

EFSA safety references

Le repère de l'EFSA porte sur l'apport total d'une journée, alimentation et compléments.

EFSA daily references
PopulationTypeValue
4-6 months to 15-17 yearsUpper limitno limit (insufficient data)
adultsUpper limit2,500 mg/j
pregnancyUpper limit2,500 mg/j
breastfeedingUpper limit2,500 mg/j

EFSA NDA Panel, 2012b. EFSA, Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (version 11, August 2025), retrieved 21 October 2026.

Maximum dose in France

Maximum daily dose per supplement in France: 800 mg, according to the Order of 9 May 2006.

The doses of the 2006 Order have not been revised since the amending Order of 14 November 2006, and some were annulled by the Conseil d'État in 2011; the DGCCRF accepted higher levels for some nutrients through guidelines published until January 2019, and an update of the Order is being prepared (ministerial answer published in the Official Journal on 11 February 2025).

Order of 9 May 2006, Annex III. French orders of 9 May 2006 and 14 November 2006 as published in the Official Journal (maximum daily doses), retrieved 21 October 2026.

Where to find it in food

Selected everyday foods, ranked by decreasing content across all confidence levels. Each value is at least one tenth of the maximum among the foods examined. Content varies with the food and preparation.

Content per 100 g of edible portion
FoodContentUnitCiqual confidence code
Parmesan cheese980mgA (high)
Emmental cheese978mgA (high)
Comté cheese907mgA (high)
Almond, with skin, no added salt260mgA (high)
Spinach, boiled240mgA (high)
Shrimp, cooked177mgA (high)
Brazil nut, no added salt160mgB (good)

The Ciqual code indicates confidence in each value: A high, B good, C moderate, D low (a less certain value).

ANSES, Ciqual table 2025, published on 19 November 2025. Licence Ouverte 2.0.

Authorised health claims

  • « Calcium and vitamin D are needed for normal growth and development of bone in children »
    Conditions: The claim can be used only for food which is at least a source of calcium and vitamin D as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation 1924/2006.
  • « Calcium and vitamin D help to reduce the loss of bone mineral in post-menopausal women. Low bone mineral density is a risk factor for osteoporotic bone fractures »
    Conditions: The claim may be used only for food supplements which provide at least 400 mg of calcium and 15 μg of vitamin D per daily portion. Information shall be given to the consumer that the claim is specifically intended for women 50 years and older and the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of at least 1 200 mg of calcium and 20 μg of vitamin D from all sources. For food supplements with added calcium and vitamin D the claim may be used only for those targeting women 50 years and older
  • « Calcium contributes to normal blood clotting »
    Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of calcium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
  • « Calcium contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism »
    Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of calcium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
  • « Calcium contributes to normal muscle function »
    Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of calcium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
  • « Calcium contributes to normal neurotransmission »
    Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of calcium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
  • « Calcium contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes »
    Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of calcium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
  • « Calcium has a role in the process of cell division and specialisation »
    Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of calcium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
  • « Calcium helps to reduce the loss of bone mineral in post-menopausal women. Low bone mineral density is a risk factor for osteoporotic bone fractures »
    Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which provides at least 400 mg of calcium per quantified portion. Information shall be given to the consumer that the claim is specifically intended for women 50 years and older and the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of at least 1 200 mg of calcium from all sources. For foods with added calcium the claim may be used only for those targeting women 50 years and older
  • « Calcium is needed for normal growth and development of bone in children. »
    Conditions: The claim can be used only for food which is at least a source of calcium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation 1924/2006.
  • « Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones »
    Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of calcium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
  • « Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal teeth »
    Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of calcium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
10 refused or revoked claims: they cannot appear on packaging
  • « Calcium contributes to normal functioning of cells. »
    Reason: Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food is not sufficiently defined to be able to be assessed and the claim could not therefore be substantiated.
  • « Calcium helps manage your weight Calcium contributes to weight control. Calcium modulates energy metabolism »
    Reason: Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
  • « Calcium helps to keep a healthy blood pressure. »
    Reason: Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, the evidence provided is insufficient to substantiate this claimed effect for this food.
  • « Calcium naturally present in dairy products is important for weight management Dairy calcium has been shown to stimulate lipolysis. Consumption of dairy calcium aids weight loss. Dairy calcium modulates fat metabolism. Dairy calcium helps promote fat loss. »
    Reason: Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
  • « Calcium promotes a healthy heart. Calcium maintains a healthy heart. Calcium helps build a healthy heart. Calcium helps promote a healthy hear »
    Reason: Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, the evidence provided is insufficient to substantiate this claimed effect for this food.
  • « Diet which includes several daily servings of low-fat milk products (about 1200 mg of calcium/day) helps to control blood pressure. »
    Reason: Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, the evidence provided is insufficient to substantiate this claimed effect for this food.
  • « Supplementation with B-vitamins, iron, magnesium as well as vitamin C can reduce fatigue and tiredness in situations of inadequate micro-nutrient status. »
    Reason: Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
  • « Water-soluble vitamins, calcium, magnesium and zinc are essential for mental function and performance In situations of inadequate micronutrient status, supplementation with water-soluble vitamins, minerals and zinc can sustain mental performance (e.g. concentration, learning, memory, reasoning). »
    Reason: Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
  • « [In german : ] Calcium ist wichtig zur Unterstützung des Stoffwechsels Clarification provided Calcium supports the regulation of the acid base balance »
    Reason: Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
  • « remineralizes/restores tooth enamel after meals increases tooth surface hardness helps strengthen teeth. »
    Reason: Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.

Official English text, as entered in the Union register. A claim may only be used under its conditions.

12 authorised claims, 10 refused or revoked. EU Register of nutrition and health claims, retrieved 21 October 2026.

Forms declared in supplements

Union list: vitamin and mineral forms that may be used in a food supplement (Directive 2002/46/EC, Annex II).

Directive 2002/46/EC on food supplements, latest consolidated version (Annex II: forms of vitamins and minerals), retrieved 23 October 2026.

Products containing it