Selecting nectarines at Centre City New World in Dunedin,
for testing in the New Zealand Food Safety Authority total
diet study, is Public Health South technical officer Peter
Haslemore. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.
How much of what we eat exposes us to chemical residues
or contaminants, such as arsenic or mercury?
This is a question that will be answered over the next year
as more than 120 commonly eaten foods are tested during the
New Zealand Food Safety Authority's total diet study.
Sampling officers in Dunedin, Christchurch, Napier and
Auckland began their first round of shopping this week and
will be buying food for testing every three months from their
local supermarket.
Senior programme manager Cherie Flynn said the foods tested
would be representative of the general eating habits of most
age groups.
They include fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy and bread, and
Indian takeaways have been added for the first time.
"What makes this study unique is that the food is prepared to
a table-ready form so potatoes are cooked and bananas are
peeled."
The tests would be used to estimate New Zealanders' total
dietary exposure to more than 250 agricultural compounds,
such as drenches, fertilisers and pesticides, the
contaminants arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, and the
nutrients iodine and selenium.
Seafood and infant formula will also be tested for
methylmercury.
Organic mercury, particularly methylmercury, was
significantly more toxic than inorganic mercury, Mrs Flynn
said.
"Infants are one of the most vulnerable groups in the
population and infant formula is a big part of their diet. We
do not expect to find significant levels of methylmercury in
infant formula, but it is prudent to check."
A total diet study is carried out every five or six years and
the last study in 2003-04 showed New Zealanders had some of
the lowest lead exposures in the world, but the average Kiwi
diet was high in salt and low in iodine.
"Previous total diet studies have found our food supply to be
as good as any in the world, but we need regular testing to
ensure our systems are performing as intended."
Quarterly results will be available throughout the year and a
final report is expected in September 2010.
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