Standardized Approach for Estimating Burden of Disease for Chemicals in Food Proposed
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A standardized approach for measuring the burden of disease of harmful chemicals in food has been proposed by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).
Burden of disease estimates are often expressed in DALYs (disability-adjusted life years), which indicate the loss of healthy years of life due to disease or premature death. Quantifying the burden of disease for chemicals in food as DALYs would allow for comparison of public health harm; however, without a standardized calculation, DALYs are difficult to compare.
In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed a standardized approach for calculating DALYs related to the burden of disease of chemicals in food, but it was not explained in detail. Therefore, RVIM developed and proposed a standardized stepwise DALY approach in line with WHO recommendations—although it needs to be validated and tested.
RVIM says its method is “not easy” and requires extensive data, but it is feasible, and it represents a step toward understanding the burden of disease of chemical substances in food.
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