The first harmonised total diet study in Portugal: Planning, sample collection and sample preparation

Elsa Vasco; M Graça Dias; Luísa Oliveira

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130258

The first harmonised total diet study in Portugal: Planning, sample collection and sample preparation

Food Chem. 2021 Nov 30:363:130258. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130258. Epub 2021 Jun 1.

Authors

Elsa Vasco¹, M Graça Dias², Luísa Oliveira¹

Affiliations

¹ Food and Nutrition Department, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, IP (INSA), Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
² Food and Nutrition Department, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, IP (INSA), Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal. Electronic address: m.graca.dias@insa.min-saude.pt.

PMID: 34214890
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130258

Abstract

The first Total Diet Study (TDS) was carried out in Portugal using harmonised procedures developed under the TDS-Exposure project. This publication describes in detail the TDS planning, sample collection and preparation, filling a gap found in literature. TDS food list (1070 items) by food group for 18-74 years olds was derived using 24 h recall food consumption survey data. Of the 164 TDS samples defined based on FoodEx2, the most represented belonged to 'Composite dishes' (21%) and 'Fish and Fish products' (15%). A total of 227 TDS samples (12 subsamples each), were collected (2014-2016) in Greater Lisbon region as 126 'national', 17 'regional non-seasonal' and 21 'regional seasonal'. Seasonal samples were mostly fruits, vegetables and some fish. Subsamples were prepared as consumed, pooled, homogenised and stored at -18 °C. The harmonised procedures used allow comparison of exposure assessment with other countries and evaluation of exposure trends if TDS are used.

Keywords: Dietary exposure assessment; Food sampling methodology; Regional seasonal food; TDS food list; TDS samples.

MeSH terms

Diet*
Dietary Exposure*
Food Contamination / analysis
Portugal
Vegetables