At A Glance

Website

http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodScienceResearch/TotalDietStudy/default.htm

Purpose

To collect data on levels of contaminants, pesticide residues, and nutrients in table-ready foods in the United States (U.S.) and to estimate dietary intakes of these substances.

Target Population

Table-ready foods consumed in the U.S. and its territories.

Conducted

Began in 1961. Conducted quarterly. Most recent year conducted was 2017.

TDS Elements are current to 2015
TDS Pesticides are current to 2012
TDS Radionuclides are current to 2014

Sponsor

Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Special Note(s)

The TDS assesses the levels of nutritional elements, elemental contaminants, industrial chemicals, pesticide residues, and radionuclides in the U.S. food supply and in the representative diets of specific sex and age groups. The TDS also monitors trends in the levels and dietary intake of these substances over time.

Sampling

Sample Design

Foods, not individuals, are sampled. The foods collected in the Total Diet Study (TDS) are based on results of national food consumption surveys. Learn more about the food sampling design.

Sample Size

Approximately 280 foods, including about 50 infant foods, are analyzed each quarter.

Special Note(s)

Sample collections, or market baskets, are generally carried out four times a year, once in each of four regions of the country (West, North Central, South, and Northeast). For each market basket, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) personnel purchase each of the 280 foods from grocery stores and fast food restaurants in three cities within the region. Each year, different cities are selected for sample collections to provide more geographic representation. Washington, DC and San Juan, Puerto Rico have been included in past market baskets in addition to major metropolitan areas in various states.

Key Variables

Demographic

Name	Methods of Assessment
Age group	Link to national food consumption survey data
Average consumption of various table-ready foods (by sex and age group)	Based on national food consumption survey data
Element intake	Total Diet Study (TDS) analytical results linked to national food consumption survey data
Industrial chemical intake	TDS analytical results linked to national food consumption survey data
Pesticide intake	TDS analytical results linked to national food consumption survey data
Radionuclide intake	TDS analytical results linked to national food consumption survey data
Sex	Link to national food consumption survey data

Geocode/Linkage

Name	Methods of Assessment
Census region, state, city	N/A

Special Note(s)

TDS analytical results for contaminant, pesticide residue and nutrient levels in foods have been merged with national food consumption data (most recently, the 1994-98 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals [CSFII]) to estimate intakes of the TDS analytes.

Data Access and Cost

Data Availability

Access data at the Total Diet Study website.

Years available:
Toxic and Nutritional Elements: 1991-2011
Pesticide Residues and Industrial Chemicals: 1991-2005
Radionuclides: 1992-2014

Cost

Free of charge.

Geocode/Linkage

Geocode Variable(s)

Census region, state, city.

Existing Linkages

Total Diet Study (TDS) analytical results for contaminant, pesticide residue and nutrient levels in foods have been merged with national food consumption data (most recently, the 1994-98 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals [CSFII]) to estimate intakes of the TDS analytes for the following groups:

• M/F 6-11 months
• M/F 2 years
• M/F 6 years
• M/F 10 years
• F 14-16 years
• M 14-16 years
• F 25-30 years
• M 25-30 years
• F 40-45 years
• M 40-45 years
• F 60-65 years
• M 60-65 years
• F 70+ years
• M 70+ years
• Total population

Special Note(s)

Both the TDS food lists and diets were most recently compiled in 2003 from national consumption survey data through a process of aggregating survey foods and consumption amounts. During the food consumption surveys, detailed information was collected on the types and amounts of food consumed by each survey participant. More than 5,000 different foods were reported in the survey, and these foods were the basis for the 2003 food lists and diets. Although there were many fewer TDS foods (~ 280) than survey foods (> 5,000), the goal of the TDS diets is to account for total food consumption. To accomplish this, the survey foods were aggregated according to their similarity to TDS foods and a “mapping” file was created in which each survey food was assigned to one of the TDS foods.

Selected Publications

For a list of related journal articles, please see Publications.

Diet-Related

Egan SK, Bailey C. FDA's Total Diet Study: Monitoring U.S. food supply safety. Food Safety Magazine. July 2002.

Egan SK, Tao SS-H, Pennington JAT, Bolger PM. U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Total Diet Study: Intake of nutritional and toxic elements, 1991-96. Food Additives and Contaminants 2002;19(2):103-125.

Pennington JAT. Total diet studies—experiences in the United States. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 2000;13(4):539-544.

Resources

None noted.