Overview
- Germany’s consumer centers report that 61% of 112 checked foods enriched with vitamin D lacked the required authorization, with only margarines and spreadable fats generally permitted for fortification.
- The market check found 13 products exceeding proposed maximum levels and urged tighter enforcement, including removing unauthorized items from shelves.
- The Robert Koch Institute defines deficiency as prolonged lack with clinically relevant symptoms and advises supplements only after a doctor confirms that sunlight and diet cannot correct low status.
- EFSA’s tolerable upper intake for healthy adults is 100 micrograms (about 4,000 IU) daily, and experts warn chronic high dosing can harm health, with overdose signs including nausea, vomiting, kidney damage, and heart rhythm disturbances.
- Guidance notes vitamin D is fat‑soluble—tablets are best taken with a fatty meal while drops can be taken independently; experts also say routine D3/K2 pairing is not generally recommended without individualized lab assessment due to potential drug interactions.