Dietary exposure estimates of 18 elements from the 1st French Total Diet Study.

To estimate the dietary exposure of the main minerals and trace elements from retail food typically consumed by the French population, samples were purchased and then prepared and cooked prior to analysis. A total of 1080 individual food composites samples were collected and analysed for 18 elements (arsenic, lead, cadmium, aluminium, mercury, antimony, chrome, calcium, manganese, magnesium, nickel, copper, zinc, lithium, sodium, molybdenum, cobalt and selenium). Intakes were calculated from different food consumption patterns found in France for average and high consumers among adults and children. Dietary exposures of those consumers estimated from the France 2000 Total Diet Study (FTDS) are reported, and compared with existing nutritional reference values (Lowest threshold Intake, LTI) or toxicological reference values (Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake, PTWI or Upper Level, UL) of the respective element and from previous French studies. This study confirms for the populations concerned, the low probability of nutritional or health risks due to food consumption.     

1997 UK Total Diet Study dietary exposures to aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium, tin and zinc

Concentrations of aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium, tin and zinc were determined in samples from the 1997 UK Total Diet Study and used to estimate dietary exposures of the general UK population. Population average dietary exposures to aluminium (3.4mg/day), arsenic (0.065mg/day), cadmium (0.012mg/day), chromium (0.10mg/day), copper (1.2mg/day), mercury (0.003mg/day), nickel (0.13mg/day), tin (1.8mg/ day) and zinc (8.4mg/day) are similar to those from previous UK Total Diet Studies and are below the appropriate PTWIs, PMTDIs and TDIs. Dietary exposure of the UK population (0.026 mg/day) to lead is falling as a result of measures taken to reduce lead contamination of the environment and food and is well below the PTWI. There has been little change in UK estimates of selenium exposure since the 1994 Total Diet Study but current estimates (0.039mg/day) are lower than those derived from earlier Total Diet Studies.     

Dietary exposures to nitrate in the UK

Dietary exposures to nitrate have been estimated for two different groups of UK consumers. The daily dietary exposure of the general population was estimated from the UK 1997 Total Diet study to be 52mg/ day. Vegetables contributed approximately 70% to this total dietary exposure. Dietary exposure estimates for adult consumers of vegetables commonly eaten in the UK were 93mg/day and 140mg/day for mean and 97.5th percentile consumers, respectively. Dietary exposures to nitrate of UK consumers are similar to those in other European countries and are less than the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for nitrate set by the European Commission's Scientific Committee for Food.     

Determination of several elements in duplicate meals from catering establishments using closed vessel microwave digestion with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detection: estimation of daily dietary intake

An estimation of the dietary exposure of French consumers to 21 essential and non-essential mineral elements using duplicate meals (breakfast and lunch) purchased from catering establishments was investigated after digestion by a closed vessel microwave procedure and quantification by ICP-MS. Daily dietary exposure estimates for metals and minerals were compared with the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intakes (PTWI), the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) or the Acceptable Daily Intakes (ADI), as established by the FAO/WHO to estimate the risk of toxicity, and the US Recommended Daily Allowances (US RDA) or the Estimate Safe & Adequate Daily Dietary Intakes (ESADDI). Moreover, comparisons were made with those from previous French studies as well as those from other countries. The estimated mean daily intakes were 11 μg for lithium, 3.42 g for sodium, 192 mg for magnesium, 2.03 mg for aluminium, 3.64 g for potassium, 642 mg for calcium, 154 μg for chromium, 12.3 mg for iron, 2.15 mg for manganese, 4 μg for cobalt, 74 μg for nickel, 925 μg for copper, 10.2 mg for zinc, 147 μg for arsenic, 66 μg for selenium, 112 μg for molybdenum, 3.6 μg for cadmium, 2.32 mg for tin, 3 μg for antimony, 9 μg for mercury and 34 μg for lead. For the non-essential (toxic) elements, aluminium, tin, antimony, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and lead, the daily intake estimates were far below tolerable limits; and similar or somewhat lower than their respective PTWI, ADI, TDI, ESADDI and US RDA for individual minerals and essential trace elements, with good agreement with other country studies. The performance of the multi-elemental ICP-MS technique was also evaluated.     

Estimation of the dietary intake of pesticide residues, lead, cadmium, arsenic and radionuclides in France

Estimation of the dietary exposure of French consumers to 10 pesticides (omethoate, oxydemeton, phosalon, phosphamidon, triazophos, dicofol (op'+pp'), parathion ethyl, dichlorvos, procymidon and vinchlozolin), three heavy metals (lead, cadmium and arsenic) and three radionuclides (¹³⁴caesium, ¹³⁷caesium and ¹³¹iodine) from collected duplicate portion in mass catering establishments in 1998/1999 are reported, and compared with those from previous French studies as well as those from other countries. Dietary exposure estimates appear to be reassuring, in that Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) estimates are generally low, representing at maximum only 4% of the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for pesticide residues and 28% of the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) for heavy metals. Moreover, none of the three radionuclides has been found in duplicate meals. When comparisons are possible, estimated dietary exposures for heavy metals are lower than those from previous French studies and similar or above those from other countries.     

Dietary exposure to metals and other elements in the 2006 UK Total Diet Study and some trends over the last 30 years

Concentrations of 24 elements including metals in the 2006 UK Total Diet Study (TDS) were measured and dietary exposures estimated. Composite samples for the 20 TDS food groups (bread, fish, fruit, etc.) were collected from 24 UK towns and analysed for their levels of aluminium, antimony, arsenic, barium, bismuth, cadmium, chromium, copper, germanium, indium, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, selenium, strontium, thallium, tin, and zinc. Concentrations of each of the elements in the food groups were lower than or similar to those reported in the previous TDS survey, conducted in 2000, with the exception of aluminium, barium, and manganese. Dietary exposures to the 24 elements were estimated for UK consumers and compared with previous estimates made over the last 30 years in order to examine any trends in exposure to these elements in the typical UK diet. Population exposures to the elements have generally declined over time, and exposures to most of these elements remain at low levels. The independent UK Government scientific Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) commented on the estimated dietary exposures, taking into account their previous evaluations (in 2003 and 2008), and identified no major concerns for the health of consumers, but did advise that there was a need for more information on aluminium and barium, and also commented that dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic and to lead should continue to be reduced.     

Dietary intakes of lead and other metals: a study of young children from an urban population in the UK

In a 7-day duplicate diet study of 97 pre-school age children from the Birmingham area, mean dietary lead intakes of 0.185 mg/week were found compared with values of 0.15 and 0.11 mg/week found from similar studies carried out previously elsewhere. Nine per cent of the children at Birmingham exceeded the current Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake for lead for the one week of study. None of these children however exceeded the DHSS advisory action level for lead in blood (25 micrograms/dl). Dietary intakes of other metals (cadmium, copper, iron, lead, nickel, tin and zinc) were generally similar to or less than those found from previous studies.     

Surveillance of potentially hazardous chemicals in food in the United Kingdom.

Surveillance of chemical contaminants in food plays an important role in helping to ensure a safe food supply in those countries that undertake it. This paper reviews the methods used in the UK as a means of highlighting the essential elements required by any food chemical surveillance programme. The following topics have been covered: quantifying food consumption, setting priorities in food surveillance, developing a common approach to the surveillance of different chemicals in the food supply (including the use of Total and Duplicate Diet Studies), estimating human intakes of chemicals from the diet, developing suitably sensitive and reliable methods of analysis, obtaining representative samples, and assessing and managing risk.     

Survey of total mercury in total diet food composites and an estimation of the dietary intake of mercury by adults and children from two Canadian cities, 1998-2000

Total mercury was measured in 259 total diet food composites from two Canadian cities. Levels were generally low, with 46% of the composites having concentrations below the limit of detection, which ranged from 0.026 to 0.506 ng g^-1. The fish category contained the highest mercury concentrations, which averaged 67 ng g^-1 and ranged from 24 to 148 ng g^-1. All composites were below the Canadian guideline for total mercury in fish of 0.5 ppm. Dietary intakes of mercury averaged 0.022 μg kg^-1 body weight/day (μg kg^-1 day^-1), and ranged from 0.012 μg kg^-1 day^-1 for females over 65 years old to 0.062 μg kg^-1 day^-1 for 0-1-month-old infants. For fish consumers, fish contributed to more than half of the ingested mercury. All intakes were well below Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intakes, expressed on a daily basis, of 0.71 μg kg^-1 day^-1 total mercury and 0.47 μg kg^-1 day^-1 methyl mercury, and also below a recent Health Canada recommended maximum methyl mercury intake of 0.2 μg kg^-1 day^-1 for children and women of child-bearing age.     

US Food and Drug Administration's Total Diet Study: intake of nutritional and toxic elements, 1991-96

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has conducted the Total Diet Study (TDS) annually since 1961. The TDS is designed to monitor the US food supply for levels of toxic chemical contaminants (pesticide residues, industrial chemicals and toxic elements) and nutritional elements. Foods are generally collected four times a year, once from each of four regions of the country. The foods are prepared table-ready before being analysed. From the results of the TDS, dietary intakes of these analytes are estimated for selected age- sex groups in the US population. This paper reports on the dietary intake of 10 nutritional and four toxic elements based on measurements made in foods collected in the TDS between 1991 and late 1996. Average daily intakes were estimated for 14 age-sex groups in the US population, as well as the contribution of specific food groups to total intakes. For most nutritional elements, teenage boys and adult males had the highest daily intakes. Intakes by infants were below the intake references for seven of 10 nutritional elements, and young girls and women had inadequate intakes of at least half the nutritional elements. Intakes by children between 2 and 10 years of age, teenage boys, and adult males met or exceeded the reference intakes for the majority of nutritional elements. Intakes by all population groups were well below the reference intakes for all toxic elements.     

Occurrence of toluene in Canadian total diet foods and its significance to overall human exposure

Levels of most VOCs in foods are usually low because of their volatility, and human exposure to VOCs is expected to be mainly via inhalation of ambient and indoor air. However, dietary exposures to VOCs can be significant to overall exposures if elevated concentrations of VOCs are present in foods consumed in high amounts and/or on a regular basis, and this was demonstrated in this study with the occurrence data of toluene from the recent 2014 Canadian Total Diet Study (TDS). Concentrations of toluene in the composite samples of most food types from the 2014 TDS are low and similar to the results from the previous 2007 TDS with some exceptions, such as beef steak (670 ng/g (2014 TDS) vs. 14 ng/g (2007 TDS)), poultry, chicken and turkey (307 ng/g (2014 TDS) vs. 8.8 ng/g (2007 TDS)). Toluene concentrations in most of the grain-based and fast food composite samples from the 2014 TDS are considerably higher than those from the 2007 TDS, with the highest level of 4655 ng/g found in the composite sample of crackers from the 2014 TDS (compared to 18 ng/g from 2007 TDS). Dietary exposure estimates for toluene based on the occurrence results from the 2014 TDS show that for most of the age groups, grain-based foods are the primary source, accounting for an average of 77.5% of the overall toluene intake from the diet. The highest dietary exposures to toluene were observed for the adult age groups, with estimated average exposures ranging from 177.4 to 184.5 µg/d. Dietary exposure estimates to toluene are well below oral doses associated with toxicological effects and also below the maximum estimated intake (819 µg/d) from air inhalation for adult group (20 – 70 years) based on the results from CEPA (Canadian Environmental Protection Act) assessment in 1992.     

Intake of essential and non-essential elements from consumption of octopus,cuttlefish and squid

Total concentrations of essential (Cu, Zn, Se and Cr) and non-essential (Hg, Cd, Pb and As) trace elements were measured in the flesh and hepatopancreas of Octopodidae (Eledone moschata, Eledone cirrhosa, Octopus salutii), Sepiidae (Sepia elegans, Sepia orbignyana) and Loliginidae (Illex coindeti, Loligo vulgaris) from the Mediterranean Sea. As expected, the hepatopancreas showed higher metal concentrations than flesh; the only exceptions were Hg and As, which were equally distributed in the two tissues. Regarding the edible portion, the highest toxic metal concentrations were in Octopodidae (Hg: 0.44, Cd: 0.49, Pb: 0.10 µg g^?1 wet weight) and Sepiidae (Hg: 0.27, Cd: 0.50, Pb: 0.12 µg g^?1 wet weight), while Loliginidae tended to accumulate less metal, especially Hg (Hg: 0.11, Cd: 0.30, Pb: 0.05 µg g^?1 wet weight). The other elements showed a heterogeneous distribution among the different cephalopod families. Loliginidae showed the highest Se concentrations (1.18 µg g^?1 wet weight), Octopodidae of Cu (37.37 µg g^?1 wet weight) and Zn (42.00 µg g^?1 wet weight) and Sepiidae of As (61.43 µg g^?1 wet weight), while Cr was uniformly distributed among the various families (0.38–0.43 µg g^?1 wet weight). In these seafoods, the concentrations of essential and non-essential elements were within the prescribed limits set by various authorities, except for Cu and As. Health risks posed by toxic elements to humans via dietary intake of these mollusks were assessed on the basis on Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI), while the estimated intakes of essential elements were compared to Dietary Reference Intakes (RDIs). A 70-g serving of these mollusks was shown to provide a large contribution to Cd intake (0.89 µg kg^?1 body weight), corresponding to 35.6% of PTWI. Concerning the essential elements, the consumption of these mollusks made an important contribution to daily dietary intake of Se, Cu and Zn.     

Dietary exposure to antimony,lead and mercury of secondary school students in Hong Kong

The aim of this first study was to determine the dietary exposure of antimony, lead, mercury in foodstuffs consumed by secondary school students in Hong Kong. Around 100 composite food items were purchased and then cooked prior to analysis. Antimony was measured by hydrogen generation (HG)/inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS), while lead was determined by ICP–MS. Total mercury was measured by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry. The detection limits for antimony, lead and total mercury were 1, 0.6 and 3 µg kg^?1, respectively. The dietary intake of antimony, lead and total mercury for an average secondary student were estimated to be 0.252, 1.98 and 0.92 µg (kg bw)^?1 week^?1, respectively. The dietary intake of antimony, lead and total mercury for high-consumer secondary student were estimated to be 0.567, 5.09 and 2.33 µg (kg bw)^?1 week^?1, respectively. The main contribution to antimony, lead and mercury were milk, vegetables and seafood, respectively. The Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of antimony, as recommended by WHO, is 6 µg (kg bw)^?1 week^?1, while the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intakes (PTWI) of lead and mercury, as recommended by JECFA, are 25 and 5 µg (kg bw)^?1 week^?1, respectively. The estimated exposure values for secondary school students were compared to these safety reference values. For the relevant population, this study confirms the low probability of health risks from these metals via food consumption.     

Aluminium in food and daily dietary intake estimate in Greece

Aluminium content of foods, as well as dietary aluminium intake of the Greek adult population, was determined using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy after microwave sample digestion and food consumption data. Al content ranged from 0.02 to 741.2?mg?kg^?1, with spices, high-spice foods, cereal products, vegetables and pulses found to be high in Al. Differences in aluminium content were found between different food classes from Greece and those from some other countries. Aluminium intake of Greeks is 3.7?mg/day based on DAFNE Food Availability Databank, which uses data from the Household Budget Surveys. On the other hand, according to the per capita food consumption data collected by both national and international organisations, Al intake is 6.4?mg?day^?1. Greek adult population has an Al intake lower than the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake of 7?mg?kg^?1 body weight established by EFSA. Cereals and vegetables are the main Al contributors, providing 72.4% of daily intake.     

Dietary exposure to antimony, lead and mercury of secondary school students in Hong Kong

The aim of this first study was to determine the dietary exposure of antimony, lead, mercury in foodstuffs consumed by secondary school students in Hong Kong. Around 100 composite food items were purchased and then cooked prior to analysis. Antimony was measured by hydrogen generation (HG)/inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), while lead was determined by ICP-MS. Total mercury was measured by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry. The detection limits for antimony, lead and total mercury were 1, 0.6 and 3 microg kg(-1), respectively. The dietary intake of antimony, lead and total mercury for an average secondary student were estimated to be 0.252, 1.98 and 0.92 microg (kg bw)(-1) week(-1), respectively. The dietary intake of antimony, lead and total mercury for high-consumer secondary student were estimated to be 0.567, 5.09 and 2.33 microg (kg bw)(-1) week(-1), respectively. The main contribution to antimony, lead and mercury were milk, vegetables and seafood, respectively. The Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of antimony, as recommended by WHO, is 6 microg (kg bw)(-1) week(-1), while the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intakes (PTWI) of lead and mercury, as recommended by JECFA, are 25 and 5 microg (kg bw)(-1) week(-1), respectively. The estimated exposure values for secondary school students were compared to these safety reference values. For the relevant population, this study confirms the low probability of health risks from these metals via food consumption.     

Dietary exposure and health risk assessment for 11 minerals and trace elements in Yaoundé: the Cameroonian Total Diet Study

Dietary exposure to 11 elements was assessed by the Total Diet Study (TDS) method. Sixty-four pooled samples representing 96.5% of the diet in Yaoundé, Cameroon, were prepared as consumed before analysis. Consumption data were sourced from a household budget survey. Dietary exposures were compared with nutritional or health-based guidance values (HBGV) and to worldwide TDS results. Elevated prevalence of inadequate intake was estimated for calcium (71.6%), iron (89.7%), magnesium (31.8%), zinc (46.9%) and selenium (87.3%). The percentage of the study population exceeding the tolerable upper intake levels was estimated as <3.2% for calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and cobalt; 19.1% of the population exceeded the HBGV for sodium. No exceedance of the HBGV for inorganic mercury was predicted in the population. The margin of exposure ranged from 0.91 to 25.0 for inorganic arsenic depending on the reference point. The “Fish” food group was the highest contributor to intake for calcium (65%), cobalt (32%) and selenium (96%). This group was the highest contributor to the exposure to total arsenic (71%) and organic mercury (96%). The “Cereals and cereal products” highly contributed to iron (26%), zinc (26%) and chromium (25%) intakes. The “Tubers and starches” highly contributed to magnesium (39%) and potassium (52%) intakes. This study highlights the dietary deficiency of some essential elements and a low dietary exposure to toxic elements in Yaoundé.     

UK dietary exposure to PCDD/Fs,PCBs, PBDD/Fs,PBBs and PBDEs: comparison of results from 24-h duplicate diets and total diet studies

ABSTRACT

Chemicals in food are monitored to check for compliance with regulatory limits and to evaluate trends in dietary exposures, among other reasons. This study compared two different methods for estimating human dietary exposure to lipophilic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) during 2011/12: (1) the 2012 Total Diet Study (TDS) conducted by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and (2) a 24-h duplicate diet (DD) study of 20 adults from the North East of England. The equivalence of the two approaches was assessed; anything less than an order of magnitude could be considered reasonable and within three-fold (equivalent to 0.5 log) as good. Adult dietary exposure estimates derived from the DD study for both average and high-level (97.5th percentile) consumers compared well with those from the TDS. Estimates from the DD study when compared with those from the TDS were within 10% for P97.5 for total PCDD/F/PCB with divergence increasing to a factor of 3.4 for average BDE-209. Most estimates derived from the TDS were slightly higher than those derived from the DD. Comparison with earlier UK TDS data over the last 30 years or so confirmed a gradual decline in levels of PCDD/F/PCBs in food. Such comparisons also indicated peaks in dietary exposure to ∑PBDE (excluding BDE-209) between 2000 and 2005. Exposure estimates for all measured compounds using both TDS and DD data were found to be within recommended tolerable daily intakes where available or within acceptable margins of exposure.     

What is next for the Dietary Reference Intakes for bone metabolism related nutrients beyond calcium: phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin D, and fluoride?

The science supporting the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin D, and fluoride was examined in this review. Along with the previous article on calcium in this series both of these reviews represent all the DRI for nutrients considered essential for bone metabolism and health, as reported in the Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride (Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board (FNB), 1997). The Recomended Dietary Allowances (RDA) or adequate intake (AI), and the tolerable upper intake level (UL) were recommended for each of these essential nutrients. For adults and in the case of fluoride, for infants as well, UL were calculated since all of these nutrients have the potential for mild to detrimental side effects. Dietary intake data and controversies regarding the role these nutrients may play in other chronic diseases have also been discussed. Advances and controversies reported since the publication of the DRI for these nutrients were also addressed in this review. A recent Dietary Reference Intake Research Synthesis Workshop report identified an extensive range of suggested future research directions needed to improve our understanding of these bone-related nutrients and their contributions to human health.     

Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide: "A tool for the times".

This article outlines the processes undertaken to revise Canada's Food Guide and shares the updated science that underpins the dietary pattern. The Dietary Reference Intakes provide updated nutrient requirement values and better tools for dietary assessment and planning. Alignment with this updated science was an important component of defining and communicating accurate dietary guidance for Canada. Ensuring that stakeholders had access to the updated review of requirements led to the development of the text Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements. Equally important was ensuring that stakeholders were provided opportunity to influence the approach taken to giving dietary guidance, both content and the elements of the final package. A combination of research, consultation and expert advice guided the process to the release of Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide (2007).     

Review of the Dietary Reference Intake for Calcium: Where Do We Go From Here?

In this article the science relied on to establish the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) specifically for calcium was examined. The latest dietary recommendations for the essential nutrients significant with respect to their roles in bone metabolism and health were reported in the Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride (1997) (NIM, 1997). For calcium an adequate intake was recommended because insufficient data were available at the time to determine specific Recommended Dietary Allowances. Dietary intake data and the controversies regarding the role calcium may play in other chronic diseases have also been discussed. Advances and continued dilemmas regarding these topics reported since the publication of the DRI were also addressed in this review. A recent Dietary Reference Intake Research Synthesis Workshop report identified an extensive range of suggested future research directions needed to improve our understanding of calcium and bone and health.