The US Food and Drug Administration’s Total Diet Study Interface (TDSi), a web-based tool used to navigate FDA’s Total Diet Study (TDS), has been out for a little over a week, and it’s already making the news.
The tool provides a new way to access and view Total Diet Study data from 2018-2022. Launched in 1961 to detect radioactive material in the US food supply, the study was later expanded to include nutrients, such as calcium and iron and contaminants, such as lead and arsenic.
Arsenic in candy? Not so much
The tool was recently used to counter claims by the Florida Department of Health that 28 of 46 candy products purchased in Florida stores contained arsenic.
“No one should have to wonder whether the food that they are feeding their children is quietly impacting their health over time,” said Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis at a Jan. 26 press conference. “Through independent testing under the Healthy Florida First initiative, we are bringing sunlight and transparency to the quality of food in our food supply.”
Not exactly, according to the National Confectioners Association, which cited information gathered by the new TDSi to show the arsenic claims were overstated.
“The FDA released on 1/27 a new interactive web-based tool called Total Diet Study Interface (TDSi) which provides streamlined access to thoroughly vetted data,” the NCA said in a press release. “The FDA findings related to arsenic in confectionery accessible through this tool are significantly lower than what the State of Florida released in its confectionery study. This FDA tool provides more transparency for consumers, regulators, media and lawmakers looking to make sense of the Florida report.”
NCA argued that the Florida report folded in low‑level arsenic findings and, by using specific benchmarks and consumption scenarios, treated them in a way that pushed perceived risk higher than FDA’s own data and standards would indicate.
Beyond arsenic claims
While the Florida arsenic report is the TDSi’s first known appearance in the media, the tool has myriad uses for food and beverage manufacturers.
According to the FDA, the data accessibility it provides includes:
- Comprehensive data visualization – Interactive graphics and charts that enable users to easily explore TDS findings efficiently and intuitively.
- Enhanced transparency – User-driven access to detailed analytical results with full dataset download capabilities for researchers and stakeholders.
- Historical scope – Complete datasets for nutrients and contaminants (including elements, radionuclides and pesticides) in foods collected since 2018.
- Ongoing updates – Regular incorporation of new TDS data as it becomes available.
“The TDSi release underscores the FDA’s commitment to transparency and continuous improvement in its food chemical safety programs and aligns with Make America Healthy Again goals,” the FDA said in a press release. “By transitioning from traditional publication methods to this dynamic, user-interactive platform, the FDA is providing stakeholders with significantly enhanced access to critical food safety and nutrition data, positioning itself as the global leader in providing comprehensive, publicly accessible data on foods in a typical US consumer’s diet.”
Practical uses for TDSi
TDSi serves a number of purposes for food manufacturers looking to ensure compliance with contaminant levels set by federal regulators, according to an article published in the National Library of Medicine.
“When used as a screening tool, TDS can identify food groups and hazardous chemicals that require detailed food monitoring,” according to the study, Total Diet Studies as a Tool for Ensuring Food Safety. “TDSs provide temporal trends in hazards exposure, allowing risk managers to evaluate the effectiveness of food safety policies.”
For example, the US TDS data has been critical in identifying lead levels in the food supply, according to the report.
The data also can detect changes in contaminants that make their way into the food supply as a result of new cooking methods, the report stated.
