nutrient
Sulfur
An element present in sulfur-containing amino acids and many biological molecules.
Educational draft · Human scientific and editorial review pending. About review status
Sulfur is supplied through protein foods and amino acids such as methionine and cysteine. EFSA has no standalone sulfur dietary reference value.
How it works
What the food record can show
Sulfur in food is supplied through sulfur-containing amino acids such as methionine and cysteine. EFSA’s protein opinion provides protein and amino-acid context, not a standalone sulfur outcome or target.
Where it comes from
EFSA’s protein opinion sets reference values for protein, not a standalone sulfur target. Sulfur intake depends on the amino-acid composition of the diet, and a single sulfur number would conceal that source distinction.
Related topics
Molybdenum helps process compounds containing Sulfur
Molybdenum cofactor enzymes include sulfite oxidase, which processes sulfur-containing compounds.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Molybdenum: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
Sulfur is a component of amino acids in Protein
Sulfur occurs in the amino acids methionine and cysteine that form part of dietary proteins.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: European Food Safety Authority: Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for protein
Worth knowing
No separate daily sulfur target. Dietary sulfur is supplied in compounds such as the amino acids methionine and cysteine. EFSA has not set a separate target for elemental sulfur.
A closer look
Protein grams cannot give a sulfur target
Proteins differ in how much methionine and cysteine they contain. A protein reference value cannot therefore be converted into a universal elemental-sulfur target. Sulfur’s place in these molecules is the useful context for this entry.
References
Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.