FSANZ 2019 — 25th Australian Total Diet Study
The 25th Australian Total Diet Study (ATDS), published June 2019 by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), investigated levels of agricultural and veterinary chemicals and four metal contaminants (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury) in 88 different food types sampled across all Australian states and territories during two periods (May 2013 and February 2014). Dietary exposure was estimated for the general Australian population across multiple age groups and compared against health-based guidance values (HBGVs); FSANZ concluded that there are no public health and safety concerns for Australian consumers for most substances, with the exception of methylmercury exceedance of the PTWI for children aged 2 to 5 years through fish consumption.
Key numbers
Metal contaminants section key findings:
Inorganic arsenic: Estimated dietary exposures determined to be below levels associated with adverse health effects. Major food contributors: rice and rice products; fish and seafood including crustacea and sushi; infant cereal products. No HBGV established (international assessments unable to set a safe level). Data available for limited food range only.
Cadmium: Major dietary contributors: root vegetables, savoury snacks including crisps, grain type breads, cakes and baked goods, and berries. Dietary exposures compared to PTMI; no public health and safety concerns. Slight exceedance at 90th percentile for infants aged 9 months (25–130% of PTMI depending on modelling scenario), considered not of concern due to conservative assessment method.
Lead: No HBGV established. Major dietary contributors: water, sweetened soft drinks, baked goods, some dried and tinned fruits, pork, some deli meats, honey, chocolates and fudge. Estimated dietary exposures lower than levels considered to be of negligible risk of causing adverse health effects.
Total mercury: Seafood is major dietary contributor to inorganic and methylmercury exposure. Inorganic Hg: compared to PTWI, no public health concerns. Exceedance at 90th percentile for 9-month infants (<1–170% of PTWI depending on scenario), not of concern due to conservative assessment.
Methylmercury: Exceedance of PTWI for children aged 2–5 years at mean (110% of PTWI) and high 90th percentile (220% of PTWI) exposures through fish consumption. Women of child-bearing age had dietary exposures below the PTWI.
Agricultural chemical highlight: estimated dietary exposures to organophosphorus insecticide prothiofos exceeded the ADI for some population age groups from table grape detections; the APVMA subsequently worked with industry to cancel label approvals.
Methods (brief)
88 food types sampled from all Australian states and territories, two sampling periods (May 2013 and February 2014). Concentrations measured in prepared/as-consumed form. Dietary exposure modelled by multiplying food chemical concentrations by food consumption amounts from the Australian National Nutrition Survey. Treatment of results below the Limit of Reporting (LOR): half the LOR used. Speciation conducted for arsenic (both total and inorganic arsenic reported) and mercury (total, inorganic, and methylmercury reported separately). Appendices available at foodstandards.gov.au.
Limitations
Inorganic arsenic exposure estimated from a limited range of foods. Methylmercury PTWI exceedance for 2–5 year olds is assessed in the context of fish consumption benefits (omega-3 fatty acids). The 25th ATDS used 2013–2014 sampling data; food formulations and contamination levels may have changed. PTMI exceedance for 9-month infants is considered temporary and conservative.
Implications
- Certification: Provides Australian regulatory baseline for iAs (rice/rice products, seafood), Cd (root vegetables, bread/baked goods), Pb (broad dietary basket), MeHg (fish). Useful comparator for HMT&C standards against non-US regulatory contexts.
- Courses: Excellent example of a total diet study methodology with full speciation — iAs vs tAs, MeHg vs tHg — and population-level exposure modelling across age groups.
- App: Dietary exposure context for iAs (rice-dominant), Cd (root vegetable and grain-dominant), MeHg (seafood). Note: provides dietary intake estimates, not ingredient-level ppb concentrations.
- Microbiome: Not applicable as primary topic.