Estimating usual food intake distributions from short-term quantitative measurements is critical when occasionally or rarely eaten food groups are considered. To overcome this challenge by statistical modeling, the Multiple Source Method (MSM) was developed in 2006. The MSM provides usual food intake distributions from individual short-term estimates by combining the probability and the amount of consumption with incorporation of covariates into the modeling part. Habitual consumption frequency information may be used in 2 ways: first, to distinguish true nonconsumers from occasional nonconsumers in short-term measurements and second, as a covariate in the statistical model. The MSM is therefore able to calculate estimates for occasional nonconsumers. External information on the proportion of nonconsumers of a food can also be handled by the MSM. As a proof-of-concept, we applied the MSM to a data set from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam Calibration Study (2004) comprising 393 participants who completed two 24-h dietary recalls and one FFQ. Usual intake distributions were estimated for 38 food groups with a proportion of nonconsumers > 70% in the 24-h dietary recalls. The intake estimates derived by the MSM corresponded with the observed values such as the group mean. This study shows that the MSM is a useful and applicable statistical technique to estimate usual food intake distributions, if at least 2 repeated measurements per participant are available, even for food groups with a sizeable percentage of nonconsumers.

To estimate the dietary exposure of the main minerals and trace elements from retail food typically consumed by the French population, samples were purchased and then prepared and cooked prior to analysis. A total of 1080 individual food composites samples were collected and analysed for 18 elements

Sedentary behavior (SED) has already been identified as a risk factor of childhood overweight (OW) but less is known about the dietary patterns related to adiposity. Our objective was to investigate if lifestyle patterns combining overall diet and physical activity were associated with childhood OW and if they were involved in the reverse association between socioeconomic status (SES) and OW. Dietary intake was assessed using a 7-d food record in 748 French children aged 3-11 y from the 1998-1999 cross-sectional French Enquête Individuelle et Nationale sur les Consommations Alimentaires national food consumption survey. Weight and height, leisure time physical activity, SED (television viewing), and SES were reported by parents or children by answering questionnaires. Scores for lifestyle patterns were assessed with factor analysis and their relationship with OW was explored by logistic regression analysis. Two similar lifestyle patterns were identified in children aged 3-6 y and 7-11 y: "snacking and sedentary" and "varied food and physically active." The snacking and sedentary pattern was positively associated with OW in the youngest children (P-trend = 0.0161) and partly mediated the negative association of SES to OW. The varied food and physically active pattern was inversely correlated with OW in the eldest children only (P-trend = 0.0401). A third pattern called "big eaters at main meals" was derived in children aged 7-11 y and was positively correlated with OW (P-trend = 0.0165). From a public health perspective, the combinations of identifiable dietary and physical activity behaviors may be useful as a basis for recommendations on preventing OW.

Two independent cross-sectional dietary surveys (the Individual and National Food Consumption Surveys, INCA), performed in 1998 -99 (INCA1) and in 2006 -07 (INCA2) on nationally representative samples of French people, were used to analyse trends in the dietary habits and nutritional intake of French adults. Food consumption was recorded through 7-d dietary records, and nutritional intakes were assessed using the French food composition database. After exclusion of under-reporters, analyses were performed on 3267 adults, aged 18 -79 years: 1345 from INCA1 and 1922 from INCA2. The trends highlighted over the 8-year period showed a decrease in consumption of dairy products, meat, bread, potatoes, pastries/croissant-like pastries/cakes/biscuits and sugar/confectionery. In contrast, the consumption of fruits and vegetables, rice, ice cream and chocolate increased. Other food groups, like fish and snacking foods, remained stable. Food choices were mostly age specific. These age differences remained consistent over the years and underlined two opposite dietary trends: a 'traditional' one mainly followed by the elderly, and a 'snacking and convenience' one mainly adopted by young adults. The overall trends in food consumption did not influence the mean energy intake, but did slightly modify the contribution of each macronutrient to energy intake. These repeated surveys highlighted the fact that trends in French food habits have moved towards an average European diet at the crossroads between Mediterranean and Northern diets, and that food consumption changes impacted, to a lesser extent, nutritional intake. With the growing global concern about chronic diet-related diseases such as obesity and CVD, the WHO and the FAO have stressed the importance of a balanced diet to prevent these diseases (1)

This study reports estimates on dietary exposure from the first French Total Diet Study (FTDS) and compares these estimates with both existing tolerable daily intakes for these toxins and the intakes calculated during previous French studies. To estimate the dietary exposure of the French population to the principal mycotoxins in the French diet (as consumed), 456 composite samples were prepared from 2280 individual samples and analysed for aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, trichothecenes, zearalenone, fumonisins and patulin. Average and high percentile intakes were calculated taking account of different eating patterns for adults, children and vegetarians. The results showed that contaminant levels observed in the foods examined 'as consumed' complied fully with current European legislation. However, particular attention needs to be paid to the exposure of specific population groups, such as children and vegans/macrobiotics, who could be exposed to certain mycotoxins in quantities that exceed the tolerable or weekly daily intake levels. This observation is particularly relevant with respect to ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone. For these mycotoxins, cereals and cereal products were the main contributors to high exposure.