GUIDEA—Guidance for Dietary Intake and Exposure Assessment—A New Resource for Exposure Assessment Professionals

Exposure assessment is a key component of any risk-benefit assessment, yet it is clear that there is a lack of reliable methodology in this area for assessing consumer exposures to both food constituents and nonfood products. The Inter- national Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe Food Intake Methodology Task Force has in the past explored methods to assess the intake of nutrients/additives and exposure to contaminants/residues from food. In December 2008, a work- shop was held to discuss the differences between different types of exposure assessments as well as the difficulties involved in the practical application of the methods available. It was noted that although no two assessments are the same in terms of data required and its availability, or the assumptions made, there is also wide and perhaps unnecessary variation between the approaches taken by different assessors. As a result, the ILSI Europe Food Intake Methodology Task Force initiated an activity aimed at producing a practical guide for conducting intake/exposure assessments in the form of an interactive web-based application.