Food consumption data

LAMBE j (2002) The use of food consumption data in assessments of exposure to food chemicals using the application of probabilistic modelling. Proc Nutrn Soc. 61 11-18. 

Table IV. Summary of Survival and Food Consumption Data for Rats Receiving Basic Laboratory Diet, and Basic Laboratory Diet to Which Were Added 50...

The XtraFOOD model was developed within the framework of a research project initiated by the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) [69]. The model calculates transfer of contaminants in the primary food chain (Fig. 8). In the project, the transfer model was coupled with historical food consumption data to estimate human exposure to contaminated food products. The model focuses on the terrestrial food chain. The XtraFOOD model consists of three modules, which are inter-linked ... 

Food consumption data. The amounts of the affected foods eaten including, if necessary, consumption by sub-groups. 

In order to use the food consumption data to predict intakes of food additives it is necessary to combine them with information about the levels in foods. Data on usage have been described above and at the simplest level it is usual to use the maximum permitted levels from national or supra-national legislation. 

Probabilistic approaches take advantage of current computational capabilities to combine all of the data in a pesticide residue distribution (rather than a single expected value) with food consumption data to develop a distribution of daily exposure. This approach is called a Monte Carlo simulation, although there are many ways to conduct this type of analysis. 

The United States uses food consumption data and food factors in conjunction with the ADI to calculate the tolerance of residues in edible tissues. The calculation starts with an estimate of the safe concentration of the total drug residues by dividing the ADI by food factors that reflect the contribution of the edible tissues to the daily diet. Following analysis of the depletion of the total residues from the edible tissues, a target tissue is selected for residue monitoring. The residue whose concentration is in known relationship to the total residues in the target tissue is selected as the marker residue. The tolerance is the concentration of the marker residue in the target tissue, which ensures that the total residues in each edible tissue are below their safe concentration. 

Tolerance levels in foods are estimated based on the parameters previously described. The average food consumption estimates are based on crop production data (2) or food consumption survey data (3) provided by the United States Department of Agriculture. The food consumption data used reflects per capita average consumption. The food consumption estimates currently used approximate total U.S. consumption of a food divided by total U.S. population. 

Two types of epidemiological relationships have been found in two different populations. Both relationships were inverse to selenium bioavailability and paralleled the results from animal studies. In one type of study, selenium bioavailability has been inversely related to human cancer mortality in American cities and states (14-15). Schrauzer et.al. correlated the age-adjusted mortality from cancer at 17 major body sites with the apparent dietary selenium intakes estimated from food consumption data in 27 countries (16). Significant inverse correlations were observed for cancers of the large intestine, rectum, prostate, breast, ovary, lung, and leukemia. In addition, weaker inverse associations were found for cancers of the pancreas, skin, and bladder. 

The intake estimates are based on dietary intake data collected in the Danish nationwide food consumption survey of 2000-2002 [3]. The food consumption data were sampled throughout the 3 year period in order to account for possible seasonal variations in dietary habits. The representative sample of Danes included... 

Toxic and essential trace elements intakes were computed from food consumption data of the population in northern Italy and element concentration measurements. The results (Table 10.6) were compared with the Italian Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for essential trace elements and with the Provisional Tolerable Daily/Weekly Intake (PTDI/PTWI) for toxic elements. Finally, an assessment was made of the extent to which each food contributes to the total intake of trace elements by the population under study and the most contaminated foods were also detected. On the whole, mean intake values satisfied the Italian RDA for all the essential trace elements [31], while the potentially toxic trace elements were below the relevant threshold limits. 

At this time, acute dietary exposure in the EU is typically estimated by calculating National Estimates of Short Term Intakes (NESTIs) at the national level or International Estimates of Short Term Intakes (lESTIs) at the international level. Practically, however, the only readily available data for calculating estimates of short-term exposures are those from the UK. In practice, NESTIs calculated with the UK food consumption data are used to represent potential acute dietary exposures across the EU. As will be shown in the following paragraphs, the NESTI calculation provides a point estimate of acute dietary exposure. 

One difference between the US and the EU approach to probabilistic dietary risk assessment is in the method of sampling. In the US approach, probabilistic sampling is done for the residue distribution. However, Exponent s Dietary Exposure Evaluation Model (DEEM [10]) currently used by the EPA for dietary risk assessment uses all of the food consumption data. In the EU, it appears that probability sampling may be performed from both the residue and consumption distributions [11], In the US, the CARES... 

Clearly, the data for food consumption is a very important component of the dietary exposure model. There are some differences in the approaches taken in the US and in the EU, although food consumption data are not collected or treated the same way across the EU. In addition to differences in survey design and collection methods, the organization of the data can also have an impact upon the dietary risk assessment. 

Food consumption surveys are often conducted using the dietary recall or food diary methodologies. In the dietary recall technique, either direct face-to-face interviews or telephone interviews may be used to obtain food consumption data. Consumption amounts frequently are estimated using standard equipment, pictures, and diagrams to aid participants in estimating the amount of food consumed. Data from such recall surveys may be used for both chronic and acute dietary risk assessment The food consumption surveys on which the US dietary risk assessment models are based are of the dietary recall type [14]. 

The food diary method of collecting food consumption data requires survey participants to maintain a journal of the foods they consume. The food diary methodology is much more rigorous than the dietary recall. One variation of the food diary method requires survey participants to measure (perhaps by weighing) the amount of food they consume. The UK food consumption surveys use the food diary technique, and participants are required to weigh the amount of food that is consumed [ 15,16,17,18]. 

This paper has treated the food consumption data from the UK almost as representative of EU food consumption data in general. Doing so, however, is mainly out of convenience at this time. The UK food consumption database is well documented, among the most readily available in electronic format, and suitable for detailed distributional analysis. The 97.5 percentile consumption estimates from the UK database have formed the basis of the NESTI acute dietary exposure estimates discussed previously [8]. In addition to the UK data, a Dutch dietary exposure model using Dutch data is under development, but is not readily available at this time [19]. The German data have also been used to estimate chronic dietary exposure [20]. 

In order for processing factors to be used to best advantage, food consumption data for processed foods are needed. The US and UK food consumption databases both report consumption values for processed commodities such as juice, sauce, or pur6e. The risk... 

Several assessments were conducted to illushate the impact of different procedures on dietary risk assessment. In all cases, consumption data from the UK surveys were used. One of the differences between the US and the EU is the food consumption data. However, conducting assessments with both US and UK food consumption data will confound the comparisons, so the assessments will be run using only the UK food consumption data. All exposure estimates are presented as percent of the chronic Reference Dose (cRiD) of 0.005 mg/kg bw/day or the acute Reference Dose (aRfD) of 0.01 mg/kg bw/day (both toxicity values are hypothetical for illushative purposes). 

MOY G.G., (2005), WHO experience with food consumption data, EFSA Colloquium May 2005. 

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