title: Exposure assessment within a Total Diet Study: a comparison of the use of the pan-European classification system FoodEx-1 with national food classification systems.
abstract: A Total Diet Study (TDS) consists of selecting, collecting and preparing commonly consumed foods purchased at retail level and analysing them for harmful and/or beneficial chemical substances. A food classification system is needed to link food consumption data with the contaminant concentration data obtained in the TDS for the exposure assessment. In this study a comparison was made between the use of a national food classification systems and the use of FoodEx-1, developed and recommended by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The work was performed using data of six European countries: Belgium, Czech Republic, France, The Netherlands, Spain and the UK. For each population, exposure to contaminant A (organic compounds) and/or contaminant B (inorganic compound) was assessed by the Monte Carlo Risk Assessment (MCRA) software using the national classification system and FoodEx-1 for food consumption data and for TDS laboratory results. Minimal differences between both approaches were observed. This observation applied for both contaminant A and contaminant B. In general risk assessment will be similar for both approaches; however, this is not guaranteed. FoodEx-1 proved to be a valuable hierarchic classification system in order to harmonise exposure assessment based on existing TDS results throughout Europe.
authors: Department of Public Health, UGent, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: yasmina.akhandaf@ugent.be.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Akhandaf
authors: RIVM, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Van Klaveren
authors: Department of Public Health, UGent, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Nutritional Dietetics, Faculty of Health Care "Vesalius", University College Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: De Henauw
authors: RIVM, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Van Donkersgoed
authors: RIVM, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Van Gorcum
authors: Anses, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Papadopoulos
authors: Anses, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Sirot
authors: FERA, The Food and Environment Research Agency, York, UK.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Kennedy
authors: IFR, Institute of Food Research, Norwich, UK.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Pinchen
authors: NIPH/SZU, National Institute of Public Health, Praha, Czech Republic.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Ruprich
authors: NIPH/SZU, National Institute of Public Health, Praha, Czech Republic.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Rehurkova
authors: URV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Perelló
authors: Department of Public Health, UGent, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Sioen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001530:Belgium; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018153:Czech Republic; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards*; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D059022:Food Safety; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013030:Spain; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants
keywords: Dietary exposure; Exposure assessment; Food consumption; Food contaminants; FoodEx-1; Total diet studies (TDS)