This publication explains how Codex and the Committee for Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses worked over several years to develop the Codex nutrient reference values for protein, 13 vitamins and 6 minerals in the Codex guidelines for nutrition labelling. Nutrient reference values (NRVs) are a set of values used in nutrition labelling; they are derived from authoritative recommendations for daily nutrient intake. This publication documents the process and decisions involved in reviewing the Codex NRVs for protein, vitamins and minerals and provides a valuable record of many years of original and complex technical work. The Codex Alimentarius, or "Food Code" is a collection of standards, guidelines and codes of practice adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The Commission, also known as CAC, is the central part of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme and was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO), to protect consumer health and promote fair practices in food trade. Drawing from primary evidence from several countries and one region that historically managed their own healthy food data and reported on national nutrient intake values, the review, which ended in 2016, will play a role in informing the general population about healthy eating for the next 10-20 years and forms the basis for establishing a suite of required NRVs for more specific population groups, the first of which are older infants and young children.