What Happened
In January, FDA released the Total Diet Study (TDS) results from 2021 and 2022. Additionally, it provided users with a helpful new interface to access the data from 2018 to 2022. The information includes test results from representative samples of toxic elements, radionuclides, and pesticides. Users can also download spreadsheets of the data. [Unleaded Kids]
Unleaded Kids dug into the results for four toxic elements (arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury) and found some surprises regarding tomato sauce, baking powder, and cod. We asked FDA if it had investigated the results, and last week, we got more information.
What is the TDS and Why Does It Matter?
The TDS has been conducted since 1961 to enable FDA “to track trends in the average U.S. consumer diet and inform the development of interventions to reduce or minimize risks, when needed.”
A 2017 report by EDF evaluated TDS data from 2003 to 2013 and concluded that “food, and baby food in particular, is a meaningful — and surprising — source of lead. If it were eliminated completely, we estimate the societal benefits at more than $27 billion annually.” A study by EPA scientists that same year used TDS data from 2007 to 2013 to show that food was the main source of lead exposure for most children, and dust lead was the dominant source for the 10% of the 1- to 2-year-olds with the highest blood lead levels.
The next year, FDA announced it had formed a workgroup to examine the issue. Three years later, FDA launched its Closer to Zero program.