The four-year European Total Diet Study (TDS) will analyze a wide variety of food stuffs for an array of contaminants, such as heavy metals and minerals. The selection of products is based on national consumption data and will allow estimating total dietary exposure to the selected contaminants which can be used towards a better risk assessment. The study has the advantage that measurements will be based on real food stuffs rather than food simulants. However, analysis will be limited to those substances for which sufficiently good analytical methods exist. Compounds eventually measured will be a mix of contamination from the original food itself, residues of processing aids and detergents, as well as migration from food contact materials. 27 institutions in 19 European countries participate in the project which is scheduled to be completed in early 2016.

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Federal Institute of Risk Assessment, Germany (BfR)

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