19TH AUSTRALIAN TOTAL DIET SURVEY

About the survey

The 19th Australian Total Diet Survey (ATDS) has found that levels of pesticide residues and heavy metal contaminants in the Australian food supply remain very low and well within safety standards set by Australian and international health authorities.

The Total Diet Survey is coordinated by the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA). It is conducted in cooperation with the States and the Northern Territory health departments.

The ATDS was previously named the Australian Market Basket Survey, and has been conducted in Australia since 1970.

The purpose of the survey

The survey is one of the ANZFA administered initiatives designed to ensure the health and safety of Australians and New Zealanders through the maintenance of a safe food supply.

Conducting the survey

The ATDS estimates the level of dietary exposure of Australian consumers to a range of pesticide residues and contaminants found in the food supply. Dietary exposure is the intake of pesticide residues and contaminants from food.

ANZFA coordinated the survey and relied on the States and the Northern

Territory to arrange purchase and preparation of food samples. The Australian Government Analytical Laboratories carried out all analyses.

Sixty-nine types of foods were tested for pesticide residues and contaminant content. The foods were sampled during the 1998 calendar year in different States and the Northern Territory. Some foods were sampled at four different times throughout the year.

All foods were screened for pesticide residues, including chlorinated organic pesticides organophosphorus pesticides, synthetic pyrethroid; and fungicides.

All foods were screened for the contaminants antimony, arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, selenium, tin and zinc.

Fruits and vegetables were analysed for dithiocarbamate fungicides. Walnuts, tahina and roasted salted peanuts were tested for aflatoxins and milk samples were examined for the presence of Aflatoxin M1.

Dietary exposures to pesticide residues and contaminants were estimated for six age-gender groups. A 'model' diet was constructed for each age-gender group based on these foods and food consumption data from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey. The contributions of each pesticide residue and contaminant in every food in a diet were added to give the total dietary exposure.

The estimated dietary exposure from the Australian diet to each chemical was compared to Australian health standards (Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care 2000). In the absence of Australian health standards, international (World Health Organization) health standards were used. These health standards were derived from toxicological studies.

Results

In conclusion, the 19th ATDS confirms the overall safety of the Australian food supply regarding the presence of pesticide residues and contaminants.

More information

The 19th ATDS publication and supplementary information is available on FSANZ's website: www.foodstandards.gov.au

If you do not have access to FSANZ's website, please contact the FSANZ information officer by calling: 02 6271 2241 or by email: info@foodstandards.gov.au

Wednesday 18 April 2001

Food Standards Australia New Zealand

P O Box 7186

Canberra BC, ACT 2610

Tel: 02 6271 2222 Fax: 02 6271 2278

Advice Line: 1300 652 166

Email: advice@foodstandards.gov.au

Website: www.foodstandards.gov.au

Food Standards Australia New Zealand

P O Box 10559

Wellington NZ 6036

Tel: 04 473 9942 Fax: 04 473 9855