Analytical Results

Most TDS foods (except for some infant/toddler foods) are analyzed for all elemental analytes (other than mercury) and radionuclides. For other analytes (pesticides, industrial chemicals, and mercury) selected foods are analyzed. Refer to the food/analyte matrix to determine which TDS foods are analyzed for each analyte group.

TDS foods are analyzed for elements, pesticides and industrial chemicals in each market basket (MB); radionuclides are measured in only one MB each year. Each MB is designated by the fiscal year and the specific collection (1 through 4) for that year (e.g., MB 92-2 is the second market basket in 1992).

TDS results from MB 91-3 to the present are reported below in two formats:

• summaries of all results from MB 91-3 to the present
• individual results for each market basket (MB)

Notes on TDS analytical results:

• An FDA evaluation has determined that the TDS method used in the Kansas City District Office laboratory to measure benzene produces unreliable results for benzene in some foods. Based on this evaluation, FDA scientists recommend that benzene data be viewed with great caution, while FDA considers removing these data from the TDS website. There is no evidence of problems with other TDS data. See Questions and Answers on the Occurrence of Benzene in Soft Drinks and Other Beverages for more information.
• Data prior to MB 91-3 are not available in electronic format, but have been published in numerous reports in the scientific literature; see the references associated with TDS history.

Data Summaries (since MB 91-3), Adobe Acrobat pdf format

• Summary of Toxic and Nutritional Elements Found in TDS Foods (available in PDF, 14 MB)
• Summary of Pesticides and Industrial Chemicals Found in TDS Foods:
  • sorted by Food (available in PDF, 224 KB)
  • sorted by Pesticide/Chemical (available in PDF, 238 KB)
• Summary of Radionuclides Found in TDS Foods (available in PDF, 295 KB)
• Summary of Moisture Found in TDS Foods (available in PDF, 1.6 MB)

Individual Results (since 1991)

The following files include the individual analytical results associated with each TDS market basket (MB) conducted since mid-1991. The files are designated by the MB number (e.g., 92-2), indicating the fiscal year and the specific collection (1 through 4) for that year.

For each MB, separate files have been created for elements, radionuclides, and pesticides and industrial chemicals. A description of the file structure for each group of analytes is provided below; please review the file structures carefully before using the data files. Note that all laboratory results (analyses of original samples as well as those done for quality control) are reported for each MB. For element analyses, original and quality control results are reported in separate files.

The revision histories are also provided as separate files for elements and radionuclides, indicating if and when the files were revised after the original posting on the website and the nature of the revisions. Dates for revisions to the pesticide/industrial chemical files are noted in the table below.

Each file is a compressed, tab-delimited text file that can be downloaded, decompressed (double-click the file or use Stuffit Expander), and imported by database or spreadsheet software. Download each file separately if you are interested in results from specific market baskets. If you are interested in data from all market baskets, the last file in each table will automatically decompress all the files.