The Malaysian experience in a total diet study

Abstract

The first total diet study (TDS) in Malaysia conducted by the Food Safety and Quality Division in the Ministry of Health (MOH) is described. Prior to beginning the TDS, training and capacity building were carried out with the assistance of bilateral and multilateral partners. A pilot TDS was conducted in 2005 and followed by the full implementation of the TDS in 2006 focused on heavy metals. In 2007-2008, a second TDS covered heavy metals and pesticide residues and included 105 food items that were combined into 57 composites for each of the 6 zones of the country. The analyses were performed by four MOH laboratories. With this, Malaysia has demonstrated its TDS capacity and capability to support risk assessment to protect public health from chemicals in the food supply.