Introduction to Total Diet Study (TDS)
Total Diet Study (TDS) is an internationally recognised approach to estimate dietary exposures to food chemicals for various population groups and to assess their associated health risks. It provides a scientific basis for assessing food safety risks and regulating food supply. It can also facilitate risk managers to focus their limited resources on food chemicals that may pose the greatest risks to public health.
TDS is a large and complex project with many components. Foods commonly consumed are purchased, prepared as normally consumed, i.e. table-ready forms, in a manner consistent with cultural habits, and then analysed for a range of substances. Analytical results on the concentration of substances in food are combined with the food consumption data to obtain dietary exposure. Dietary exposure estimated is then compared to the relevant health-based guidance value for the food chemical of concern for assessing the associated health risks.