NZ Food Safety seeking feedback on Total Diet Study approach

New Zealand Food Safety is seeking feedback on the proposed chemicals selected for monitoring, the proposed key foods list and the overall proposed approach for the 2024 New Zealand Total Diet Study (NZTDS).

The study will aim to evaluate the risk to New Zealanders from exposure to certain chemicals such as agricultural chemicals, contaminants and nutrients in a range of foods most commonly eaten in a typical diet.

For the first time, the 2024 NZTDS will focus on New Zealand infants and toddlers. This will involve sampling foods most commonly consumed by infants and toddlers (six months to four years of age) and analyse these foods for certain agricultural chemicals, contaminants, nutrients and other chemicals of interest, such as those from food packaging. This will assist in estimating infants’ and toddlers’ exposure to these chemicals through consumption of foods and compare this with health-based guidance values to identify if certain chemicals are a concern in the diet.

It is intended that sampling and testing of foods will commence in early 2024 and will continue over a year-long period.

Results of the study are expected to be published in 2026.

The consultation period has opened and will close on 15 December 2023.

For more information, visit here.

Image credit: iStock.com/Sergey Kirsanov