Acceptable daily intake or ADI is a measure of the amount of a specific substance (originally applied for a food additive, later also for a residue of a veterinary drug or pesticide) in food or drinking water that can be ingested (orally) daily over a lifetime without an appreciable health risk.
[2][3] This concept was first introduced in 1961 by the Council of Europe and later, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), a committee maintained by two United Nations bodies: the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
[2] An ADI value is based on current research, with long-term studies on animals and observations of humans.
First, a no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL),[3][4] the amount of a substance that shows no toxic effects, is determined.
[5] The ADI is considered a safe intake level for a healthy adult of normal weight who consumes an average daily amount of the substance in question.