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New Zealand Total Diet Survey

The primary focus of the NZTDS is to assess exposure to chemical residues, contaminant elements and selected nutrients, from approximately 120 representative foods, across the average diet of different age-sex groups within the New Zealand population.

A distinguishing characteristic of TDSs, including the NZTDS, is that foods are analysed on an 'as consumed' basis (i.e. banana, peeled; meat, cooked). Thus providing an assessment of any potential risk to the consumer at the point of consumption of the food. As such, the NZTDS contrasts with commodity based surveillance or monitoring programmes, which analyse foods as they are available for sale or 'as produced' i.e. bananas, whole with skin; meat, raw.

The TDS is also different from the National Nutrition Surveys (NNS). In the TDS simulated diets, using the foods in the food list, are developed to represent an average New Zealand dietary pattern. This differs from the NNS where individual actual food intakes are surveyed and the nutrient intake is calculated from food composition data. Food contributions to the nutrient intake data within the NNS are in the thousands rather than the representative 120 odd foods used in the TDS.

By its very nature, the NZTDS is relatively large and complex, and is thus carried out only on a periodic basis. There have been six NZTDSs the first in 1974/75. The first five were undertaken by the New Zealand Ministry of Health (MoH). The responsibility for the NZTDS transferred to the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) with its establishment in 2002. The 2003/04 NZTDS was the first undertaken by NZFSA.

The NZTDS contributes to international commitments and obligations, such as the World Health Organization Global Environmental Monitoring Systems Food programme (WHO GEMS/Food), Codex Alimentarius and the WHO/FAO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), and WHO/FAO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR).

The NZTDS also provides valuable information that can contribute to the review of Maximum Permissible Concentration (MPCs) in food with Food Standards Australia New Zealand and the setting of food standards by the NZFSA.

• 2009 New Zealand Total Diet Survey

• 2003-2004 New Zealand Total Diet Survey

Related Links

• 1997/98 New Zealand Total Diet Survey

• GEMS (Global Environment Monitoring System) - World Health Organisation

• History of FDA's Total Diet Study - U. S. Food and Drug Administration

• Australian Total Diet Study