The origin of total diet studies

Abstract

The concept of a total diet study emerged in the late 1950s in response to concerns about environmental contaminants in the food supply. This chapter provides a brief history of the events that contributed to the contamination and early monitoring activities in the US, Europe, and Japan. By the early 1960s, the US expanded the scope of its monitoring to encompass the total diet. The chapter tells the story of the expansion of total diet studies worldwide and the role of FAO and WHO in promoting and expanding TDS programs and capacities.