Berlin – Final report of the BfR MEAL study published
The MEAL study by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is literally tough. MEAL stands for “Meals for Exposure Assessment and Analysis of Food”. The investigation, which began in 2015, tested 356 foods and dishes for a wide range of substances, including mold toxins, heavy metals, pesticides and minerals. The final report that has just been published now allows a look behind the scenes: Which data is particularly important? How is it determined how much of a substance is contained in a meal? After completing the practical phase, the MEAL team is now preparing and publishing over 140,000 analysis results. “Our perception studies show that many people are concerned about their food,” says BfR President Professor Dr. dr Andrew Hensel. “However, the results of the MEAL study so far confirm that these are safe.”
Link to report:
www.bfr-meal-studie.de
MEAL is Germany’s first total diet study. It thus accounts for more than 90% of the population’s diet. 356 foods and dishes were prepared exactly as people in Germany typically do and examined in the laboratory. On the one hand, this included frequently consumed foods such as bread or potatoes. On the other hand, dishes that are rarely served but are known for their high content of undesirable substances, such as mussels, were also taken into account.
The final report explains exactly what is behind the results of the BfR MEAL study. It has been comprehensively identified where most people buy their groceries and also how they actually prepare meals. For this purpose, data on shopping locations, food and the most frequently used recipe books and websites were collected. In preliminary studies, information was also requested that cannot be found in recipe books, such as: how brown is the toast for breakfast, or how crispy are the fried potatoes for lunch?
In the meantime, numerous analysis results for the substances examined in the BfR MEAL study have appeared in scientific publications and statements.
An example are the measurement results for dioxins. These are undesirable substances that occur in the environment and accumulate primarily in animal fat. The maximum level for dioxins set by the European Union (EU) was not exceeded in any of the food samples. More on this:
In addition, the BfR MEAL study determined how much iodine consumers take in through individual foods. Iodine as a vital trace element occurs naturally only in small amounts in food. With the help of the study, it was found that the supply of iodine is not sufficient for some people. Recommendations for the health of the population can be derived from this. Further information can be found in the BfR statement of 09.02.2021: www.bfr.bund.de/cm/343/ruecklaeufige-jodliefer-in-der-bevoelkerung-modellszenarien-zur-besser-der-jodaufnahme.pdf
All previous results of the study are available to the public as a “Public Use File”: www.bfr-meal-studie.de/de/public-use-file.html
About the BfR
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is a scientifically independent institution within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). It advises the federal government and the federal states on questions of food, chemical and product safety. The BfR conducts its own research on topics that are closely related to its assessment tasks.