Lead exposures in older children (males and females 7-17 years), women of childbearing age (females 16-49 years) and adults (males and females 18+ years): FDA total diet study 2014-16

Overview

This Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A paper from a 7-author FDA team extends the Spungen 2019 FDA Total Diet Study 2014-2016 child Pb exposure analysis to older children (7-17 years), women of childbearing age (16-49 years), and adults (18+ years). Together with Spungen 2019 for the 6-month to 6-year age groups, this paper provides the complete age-stratified U.S. dietary Pb exposure picture from the FDA’s most recent TDS sampling window. The two papers are the FDA’s empirical evidence base for the FDA Closer-to-Zero Pb-in-food work and for the FDA Interim Reference Levels for dietary Pb published in Flannery et al. 2020.

Key conclusions

Per-age-group estimated daily Pb intake from the FDA TDS 2014-2016 is reported with comparison to the FDA IRLs (12.5 µg/day for women of childbearing age and 35 µg/day for older children and adults). The paper confirms that adult and adolescent dietary Pb exposure remains well below the FDA IRLs in the U.S. mean and 95th-percentile diet, while reinforcing the previously-reported finding that baby-and-toddler-targeted matrices carry disproportionately higher per-kilogram-body-weight Pb load.

Implications

• Certification: Comparison-floor reference for HMTc thresholds. The Gavelek finding that adult dietary Pb exposure is below FDA IRLs while infant and toddler exposure is proportionally higher reinforces the case for vulnerable-population-targeted HMTc thresholds on baby-and-toddler product rows.
• Courses: Standard FDA dietary Pb exposure assessment companion to Spungen 2019.

Wiki pages updated on ingest

• Lead
• FDA 2025 Lead Action Levels for Processed Food Intended for Babies and Young Children

Update history

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