Why should the nutrition labeling for children differ from that for adults?

The nutritional needs of four-to-eight-years-old cannot be grouped with adults, although they are by FDA guidelines. They eat a different diet than adults do; their bodies are smaller; their vitamin and mineral needs are different; and their tolerance for excessive intake of vitamins and minerals is much lower. Combining four-to-eight-year-olds with adults for the purpose of nutrition labeling makes no scientific sense and leads to potentially harmful over-exposures to fortified vitamins and minerals. The FDA is currently in the process of updating the nutrient daily values for the Nutrition Facts labels. However, for 17 vitamins and minerals, the Food and Drug Administration's proposed daily values are at least twice the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for children ages 4 to 8.