The 20th Australian Total Diet Survey

- A total diet survey of pesticide residues and contaminants

The Australian Total Diet Survey, formerly known as the Australian Market Basket Survey, is Australia’s most comprehensive assessment of consumers’ dietary exposure (intake) to pesticide residues, contaminants and other substances. The survey is conducted approximately every two years, and this is the 20^th such survey.

The survey estimates the level of dietary exposure of the Australian population to a range of pesticide residues, contaminants and other substances through the testing of food samples representative of the total diet. These samples were prepared to a ‘table-ready’ form; for example, the potatoes were cooked.

The format and presentation of the survey are similar to the 19^th survey, where a short report has been produced with more detailed information provided on the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) web site (www.foodstandards.gov.au). Like the 19^th survey, food consumption data derived from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey have been used in the calculation of dietary exposures to pesticides, contaminants and other substances.

Sixty-five types of foods representative of the Australian diet were tested for pesticide residues, contaminants and other substances from foods sampled during July and November 2000 and February and April 2001. These food types incorporate foods central to the Australian diet (core foods), foods that might be expected to show regional variation of residue, contaminant or other substance levels (regional foods), and foods that are available nationwide and are not expected to show regional variation (national foods). These food types were sampled in each of the States and the Northern Territory and some were sampled at four different times throughout the year.

All foods were screened for pesticide residues, including chlorinated organic pesticides, organophosphorus pesticides, synthetic pyrethroids, carbamates and fungicides; as well as antimony, arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, selenium, tin and zinc. Breads, biscuits, rice, oats, processed wheat bran, breakfast cereals (including infant cereal), instant coffee, peanut butter, almonds and milk chocolate were tested for aflatoxins (B₁, B₂, G₁ and G₂) and ochratoxin A. A range of meats, dairy products, eggs, offal meat and infant formula were tested for inhibitory substances (penicillin G, streptomycin and oxytetracycline).

The results demonstrate that the levels of pesticide residues, contaminants and other substances in our food are very low, and in all cases they are within acceptable safety limits. The 20^th survey has incorporated lower limits of reporting for mercury and antimony in food and this has allowed a more refined dietary exposure assessment to be calculated for these substances than in previous surveys. There were no detections of either aflatoxins or ochratoxin A in nut and cereal products tested. Inhibitory substances, which can indicate the presence of antibiotic residues, were not detected in any of the meat and poultry products, dairy products or eggs tested.

The survey also provides valuable background data that can be used for the development of food regulatory measures. Data from previous surveys were used by the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) during the Review of the Food Standards Code and were integral to the development of standards in Volume 2 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. The survey is also used by the National Registration Authority for Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals when considering registration of chemical products.

The results of this survey will be provided to the World Health Organization as a contribution to the Global Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS) that collects data on the levels of pesticide residues and contaminants in the food supply worldwide.

Results

The key results from the survey are:

•        The estimated dietary exposures to antimony, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, copper, selenium, zinc and tin were within acceptable health standards. Analytical techniques with a lower limit of reporting for antimony and mercury were instituted for this survey and as a result a more refined dietary exposure estimate for these contaminants was achieved than in the 19^th survey.

•        Aflatoxins (B₁, B₂, G₁ and G₂) and ochratoxin A were not found in any food tested, namely: breads, biscuits, rice, oats, processed wheat bran, breakfast cereals (including infant cereal), instant coffee, peanut butter, almonds and milk chocolate.

•        A range of meats, dairy products, eggs, offal meat and infant formula were tested for inhibitory substances (penicillin G, streptomycin and oxytetracycline). These substances were not detected in any of these foods.

•        The estimated dietary exposures to pesticide residues were all within acceptable health standards.

Both this report and the detailed supplementary information can be downloaded from the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website at www.foodstandards.gov.au .

Conclusion

In conclusion, the 20^th ATDS, conducted between July 2000 and April 2001, confirms the overall safety of the Australian food supply and demonstrates that pesticide residues, metals, and selected antibiotics, aflatoxins and ochratoxins are either absent or present in low amounts.

To view the full 20th Australian Total Diet Survey report [ html ]   [  PDF 297 kb ]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION to the 20th Australian Total Diet Survey

published January 2003