National Food Survey vegetables

The UK Total Diet Study (TDS) relies on nationally representative information about the average food consumption by individual households researched in the UK National Food Survey (based on a survey of approximately 7000 households).2,3 Typical diets are constructed based on these data. Foodstuffs are purchased from retail outlets, then prepared and cooked in the normal manner. The individual foodstuffs are then usually combined into various groups of similar foods - for example cereals, green vegetables and fish - in the proportions eaten on average by consumers. Population dietary exposures can then be calculated using data from the TDS samples. 

Between 1982 and 1985, government studies to monitor pesticide residues in food found that out of 663 samples tested covering nine food groups, 52% contained pesticides. DDT was detected in all nine groups (38%) and dieldrin was found in 15% of all food samples. Another survey by the National Environment Board in 1998 found pesticide residues in samples of soil, water, fruit, vegetable and field crops (Table 9). 

The various national and international surveys included food crop data for food crop components produced in uncontaminated soils. Soils in mban areas or areas impacted by lead smelters not only have elevated Pb content, as is to be expected, but crops grown there also show Pb concentrations well above samples produced in uncontaminated soils. Table 6.48 depicts food crops with high Pb content under these conditions. Finster et al. (2004) reported that leafy and root vegetables grown in urban gardens in Chicago, IL, had Pb levels well above 10 ppm. Swiss chard was found at 22—24 ppm... 

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