Total Diet Studies
- 15.08.2015
- English Articles
- Gerald G. Moy
Peer-reviewed | Manuscript received: February 18, 2015 | Revision accepted: May 06, 2015
Protecting the Public from Chemical Hazards in Food
Introduction
As early as 1863, Ludwig Feuerbach wrote „Der Mensch ist, was er ißt“ [1], which conveys the notion that to be fit mentally and physically, one needs to eat good food. One of the first references to the parallel concept in English appeared in the 1940s when the nutritionist Victor Lindlahr authored his article entitled “You are what you eat” [2].
Of course today, these ideas are taken for granted because it is obvious that our health is directly linked to the quantity and quality of the food we eat. Over the past 100 years, nutrition has evolved into one of the most important health sciences, but controversies and debate continue. For example, the dietary recommendations that are offered to Americans concerning fat, cholesterol, and salt are likely to be revised based on critical analyses of supporting data [3, 4]. In a larger context, most observational studies involving the diet may not be replicable [5].
Summary
While food is one of life’s greatest pleasures, toxic chemicals in food may pose risks to health. In addition, the lack or excess of certain nutrients, particularly micronutrients, can also pose risks to health. As these chemicals are usually not detectable by the senses, assessing the potential exposure to hazardous chemicals in the food supply must be considered an essential public health function of any responsible government. To protect public health, the World Health Organization has recognized that total diet studies are the most cost-effective method for assuring that chemicals in the diet are at safe levels. Unlike routine surveillance monitoring, total diet studies are designed to be health-oriented and population based. This paper describes total diet studies and discusses their importance for health. The difference between total diet studies and routine surveillance monitoring, the trade and environment aspects and cost of total diet studies are presented. Finally, suggestions for promoting total diet studies in countries and conclusions are provided.
Keywords: total diet studies, food safety, toxicology, risk assessment, toxic chemicals in food, contaminants, health risks, public health
