Total Diet Study
Monday 11 October 2004
This research project (including codes N08006/08/21/22/25) covers the purchasing and preparation of food samples representative of the UK diet, enabling estimates of exposure to contaminants to be made.
Study Duration: June 1998 to December 2007
Contractor: BMRB International – purchase of food samples Institute of Food Research – preparation of food samples for analysis LGC Ltd – storage of total diet samples
Background
The Total Diet Study (TDS) is a continuous market basket-type survey in which foods representing the average UK diet (based on the Expenditure and Food Survey) are purchased, prepared and combined into 21 groups of similar foods for analysis. The TDS has been run on a continuous annual basis since the early 1960s and allows the Agency to estimate the population's average exposure to non-nutrients (ie contaminants such as heavy metals, dioxins and pesticides), as well as intakes of some nutrients. The continuous nature of the TDS allows trends over time to be established.
Food samples representative of the UK diet are purchased throughout the year in 24 towns covering the UK. The types and quantities of food required are based on analysis of food consumption recorded in the Expenditure and Food Survey and from trade statistics. The quantities of food are updated annually to reflect changing eating habits in the UK.
Research Approach
Every year 24 different towns throughout the UK are selected from which the food samples are to be bought. Every two weeks, instructions and equipment are despatched to trained shoppers. Once bought, the foods are packed up and collected for delivery to the laboratory.
At the laboratory the food samples are prepared, and where necessary, cooked according to normal domestic practice. A portion of each food, relative to its contribution to the UK diet, is then combined with similar foods into 21 groups. A homogenous composite sample is then prepared for each group, and these are sub-divided according to analytical requirements.
The resulting samples are stored for five years and analysed for a range of contaminants such as heavy metals, dioxins, pesticides and nutrients as required, allowing the Agency to estimate the population's average exposure to these constituents.
Additional Information
The results of the analyses that are carried out using these samples are reported on the FSA website as Food Survey Information Sheets.
If you would like further information on the Total Diet Study or the projects that the samples are used for, please email: science@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk.