Australian food is safe.

The 23rd Australian Total Diet Study (ATDS), formerly known as the Australian Market Basket Study, has found that Australian food is safe with only low rates of contamination with mycotoxins (toxins from fungi), agricultural chemicals such as pesticides and veterinary chemicals.

The survey undertaken by Food Standards Australia New Zealand ( FSANZ) also looked at food additives and nutrients in foods. More than 1500 foods samples were included in the survey and were tested in the form that they would be eaten.

Children 2-3 years of age exceeded the upper limits of intake for nutrients copper, fluoride, selenium and zinc. However this was not considered a health and safety risk as the upper limits for  these nutrients are very conservative.  Infants aged 9 months in the highest percentile of intakes, also exceeded the upper limits of these nutrients except copper. These nutrient intakes will be further investigaged in nutrition surveys.

The next survey will investigate acrylamide in food and chemical migration from food packaging.