We both live in Portugal. Fish is a normal week here. Iodised salt is not automatic in every cupboard we open, and that is a different question from the one a midwife asks in pregnancy. Iodine is the quiet line on a panel. It has no season like vitamin D, and it does not shout like B12.
This page is the European table, the foods that still do the work, and the pregnancy number that is not our pouch.
The short answer
- EFSA's adequate intake is 90 µg a day through most of childhood, then 120 µg at 11 to 14, 130 µg at 15 to 17, and 150 µg in adults. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are 200 µg.
- Pocket Kids carries 75 µg. Teens and Adults carry 100 µg. That is not 200 µg. If a midwife or GP has named a pregnancy iodine product, ours is the wrong pack.
- The percentage on the label uses the adult NRV of 150 µg. Read the micrograms.
- Sea fish, milk, yoghurt, cheese, eggs, and iodised salt where a country actually uses it still do real work. A seaweed tablet is the product that can jump the ceiling.
- Iodine contributes to normal thyroid function. That is the authorised sentence. It is not a named thyroid condition, and it is not a reason to stack a second bottle.
What EFSA set, age by age
When European food-safety people set a daily figure for iodine, they used urinary iodine in European school-aged children as the main clue, then scaled for other ages. The result is an adequate intake, not a blood target you chase at home.
| Age | Adequate intake (EFSA, 2014) |
|---|---|
| 1 to 10 | 90 µg |
| 11 to 14 | 120 µg |
| 15 to 17 | 130 µg |
| Adults | 150 µg |
| Pregnancy and breastfeeding | 200 µg |
That table is EFSA's 2014 dietary reference values for iodine. It is an intake for a population. It does not know whether Tuesday was hake or a cheese sandwich.
The upper limits sit well above these figures for a mixed diet: 250 µg at 4 to 6, 300 µg at 7 to 10, 600 µg in adults (EFSA UL summary). A modest line in a multinutrient rarely gets you there on its own. Seaweed tablets are the product that can.
The percentage is an adult ruler
The number on every European label, the NRV, is 150 µg. That is the adult figure from Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. So 75 µg looks like 50%, and 100 µg looks like 67%.
For an eight-year-old, 75 µg is most of the 90 µg adequate intake, not half a day. For a fifteen-year-old, 100 µg is most of 130 µg, not two thirds of an adult life. Read the micrograms. The percentage is how two packs can be compared in a shop. It is not a child's requirement.
Salt, fish, milk: what still sits on a European plate
Sea fish, milk, yoghurt, cheese, eggs, and iodised salt where a country actually puts iodine in the salt. A steak does less for this nutrient than a piece of hake. Plant drinks that replace milk do not automatically replace the iodine in milk.
Iodised salt is not equally ordinary in every EU country. Ireland has a long, uneven history with it. The NHS iodine page lists fish, dairy and iodised salt as the usual foods in the UK. That is one national page. EFSA is the table we use.
Portugal and Spain get more from fish. The DGS points households toward fish, dairy and iodised salt, and school kitchens were told to use iodised salt in 2013 (PNPAS, iodine in Portuguese foods). AESAN names the same three sources, and warns that brown seaweeds such as kombu can carry a lot of iodine. It advises children, pregnant women and breastfeeding women to avoid seaweed foods of that kind (AESAN, seaweed and iodine, 2021).
A child who eats dairy and some fish is in a different situation from a child who eats neither. Iodine is closer to the dairy-and-fish half of the plate we already wrote about: If your child does not eat meat.
Pregnancy is a different number, and a different product
200 µg is not a bigger adult pouch. In Portugal, the DGS orientation for preconception, pregnancy and exclusive breastfeeding is a daily iodine product as potassium iodide, 150 to 200 µg, prescribed as a medicine, alongside food and iodised salt (DGS orientation). That is not a multinutrient decision.
If a midwife or GP has named a pregnancy iodine product, ours is the wrong pack for that job. Do not borrow an adult multinutrient and call it prenatal. Do not add a seaweed tablet on top of a daily pouch without adding the numbers.
What the Register lets us say
A food supplement may only describe a health benefit in the wording on the EU Register of nutrition and health claims. For iodine, when the daily dose supplies a significant amount:
| Authorised wording | In our product |
|---|---|
| Iodine contributes to normal thyroid function | Yes, all three formulas |
| Iodine contributes to the normal function of the nervous system | Yes |
| Iodine contributes to the maintenance of normal skin | Yes |
The word doing the work is "contributes". It does not say iodine is your cause. It does not name a thyroid condition. It does not promise a child will feel different. If someone in the house is already under a thyroid clinic, take the label to that clinic.
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Where My Daily Pocket fits
| Formula | Iodine in one daily scoop | Who it suits | Who it does not |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pocket Kids (4–11) | 75 µg | A daily multinutrient for that age, if that is the job you actually want | Pregnancy. A seaweed course. A clinician's iodine-only product. |
| Pocket Teens (12–17) | 100 µg | Same idea, teen amounts | The same three. |
| Pocket Adults (18+) | 100 µg | Same idea, adult amounts | Pregnancy as a stand-in for prenatal care. A 200 µg iodine medicine. |
75 µg is 50% of the adult NRV, and most of the 90 µg adequate intake for a child under 11. 100 µg is 67% of that ruler. Add those micrograms against salt, fish, milk, and anything "from the sea" already in the house.
We have no iron, no calcium, no vitamin A, no vitamin E, no biotin, and no omega-3. A scoop is not a fish supper. If the week already has dairy and some fish, and nobody has named iodine, keep your money.
FAQ
How much iodine does a child of eight need?
EFSA's adequate intake from 1 to 10 is 90 µg a day. Pocket Kids has 75 µg in one scoop. Salt, milk and fish still count. Add any other iodine already in the house.
Why does the label say 50%?
Because the adult NRV is 150 µg. 75 µg is half of that ruler. It is not half of a child's 90 µg figure.
Is pregnancy covered by the adult pouch?
No. EFSA's figure in pregnancy is 200 µg. Ours is 100 µg. If a clinician has named a pregnancy iodine product, use that product, not ours.
Can I add a seaweed tablet?
Add the micrograms first. Children's upper limits sit at 250 µg (4 to 6) and 300 µg (7 to 10). AESAN advises children and pregnant women to avoid high-iodine seaweeds such as kombu.
What may we say iodine does?
It contributes to normal thyroid function, it contributes to the normal function of the nervous system, and it contributes to the maintenance of normal skin.
Sources
- EFSA, dietary reference values for iodine, 2014
- EFSA UL summary
- EU Register of nutrition and health claims
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011
- DGS, iodine in preconception, pregnancy and breastfeeding
- PNPAS, iodine content of Portuguese foods
- AESAN, recommendations on seaweed and iodine, 2021
- NHS, iodine
- If your child does not eat meat
- How much is too much?
About the authors
Lina is a co-founder of My Daily Pocket and is certified in nutrition. Stanislava is a co-founder. They write the Knowledge Hub together.
Last reviewed: 14 October 2026.
Food supplements should not replace a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. No supplement is a substitute for a varied, balanced diet. Stay within the dose on the pack. This page does not replace a GP. If you are pregnant, on medicines, or a child has a medical condition, speak to a professional.
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If your child does not eat meat · Pocket Kids
