Food surveillance in the U.K

The responsibilities of and techniques used by a Working Party on the Monitoring of Foodstuffs for Heavy Metals (in Great Britain) are described. Total diet studies, analysis of individual foodstuffs, sampling,and duplicate meal studies were utilized. Findings concerning lead and cadmium as food contaminants are reported and discussed. Tables show lead content of total sample diets, cadmium contents, and related information. No hazards to the health of the general population were found, but monitoring of foodstuffs for lead is continuing