Total diet studies-What they are and why they are important

Abstract

The protection of the food supply from chemical and nutritional hazards must be considered one of the most important public health functions for any country. In this regard, total diet studies are the most cost-effective tool for assessing dietary exposures to a range of potentially hazardous chemicals and intakes of essential nutrients. An overview of total diet studies is provided, including comparison with other types of surveillance programs. The importance of total diet studies in assuring the safety of the food supply and identifying possible health risks is described. For countries that currently do not undertake total diet studies, advice is offered on how to develop the skills and resources to conduct a total diet study.