Taking a cue from the developed countries, Food and Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is mulling to conduct a five-year-long Total Diet Study (TDS) estimated at Rs35 crore to determine levels of various contaminants and nutrients in foods being consumed by the Indian population.
The study, which will be first of its kind in the country on nutritional level of the food consumed by the common man, will be undertaken by the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) on behalf of the FSSAI.
The detail contours of the study were discussed at a meeting held recently at the FSSAI. The officials and members from various groups felt that the study was critically important for finding nutrition levels, deficiencies and impact of contaminants etc.
“Such studies have been undertaken in many countries while there has been none so far in India,” said a senior FSSAI official on the condition of anonymity.
For instance, as per the US Food and Drug Administration, the TDS involves purchasing samples of food throughout the US, preparing the foods as they would be consumed (table-ready), and analysing the foods to measure the levels of selected contaminants and nutrients.
Dietary intakes of these analytes by the US population are then calculated by multiplying the levels found in TDS foods by the average consumption amounts for each food, says the USFDA website.
The number of different foods sampled in the TDS has increased from 82 food items when the study was initiated in the early 1960s to about 280 foods in the current program, it says adding that the TDS foods are analysed for elements, pesticides residues and industrial chemicals in each market basket.
The FSSAI official added that under the TDS on Indian population, detailed information will be collected on the types and amounts of food consumed by each possible survey participant including adults and children and male and females to be segregated in various age groups.
Some members suggested for reviewing certain parameters including for the pesticides residues which would help in measuring toxic contents in the foods as well.
However, the meeting decided to start with the minimum parameters to begin with to avoid the cost escalation. The fund would be provided through the budgetary grant from the Government, said the official.