Understanding the FDA Data Collection Process

The data presented in this chapter were recompiled from the original data sets published in the FDA s Total Diet Studies to focus on synthetic chemical mixtures in foods. The original Total Diet Studies are available on-line at www.fda.gov under Foods. In these studies, the FDA presents its data in a Market Basket. The Market Basket process uses the following approach  

Market Baskets have been collected quarterly since 1982 from the western, north central, southern and northeastern regions of the nation. The Market Baskets available front the FDA begin in the third quarter of 1991 (MB91-3) and currently end with the fourth quarter of 2001 (MB01-4). The specific details on the Market Baskets used for this guide and description of the synthetic chemicals found in the Market Basket foods by the FDA are summarized in Appendix 

The data selected for this guide represent a five-year snapshot of chemical contaminant trends throughout the United States. 

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