In France, part of the population is overexposed to cadmium by the diet.In our work, we first revised the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 0.36 μg Cd.kg bw.d.−1 proposed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), derived from effects on kidneys and based on the critical urinary Cd concentration of 1.0 μg Cd.g−1 creatinine for humans.After reviewing the epidemiological data on Cd toxicity published after 2011, bone effects were selected as the critical effects. Body burden data of 0.5 μg.g−1 creatinine was chosen for the critical threshold for human urinary cadmium concentrations.To be used for the derivation of the new oral toxicological reference value, we used a modified physiologically based pharmacokinetic model (PBPK). The reverse calculation on the PBPK model gave a TDI of 0.35 μg Cd.kg bw−1.day−1.This TDI is compatible with a urinary Cd concentrations not exceeding 0.5 μg Cd.g−1 creatinine, in a 60 year-old adult, assuming that ingestion is the only source of exposure to Cd at 60 years. After implementing the PBPK model with French physiological data, Cd biological reference values as a function of age were modelled so as to remain below the revised health-based guidance values.