A total diet study estimated the dietary intake of 80 organochlorine,
organophosphorous, organonitrogen, and some pyrethroid pesticides, lead cadmium,
copper and nitrates. Thirty·three of (table ready) diets were collected from cafeterias
and restaurants in great Cairo during the year 2002. The study depends on the
nalional food consumption data from the Institute of Nutrition, Ministry of Health. The
overall results show that there is no significant environmental contamination of the
average Egyptian diet. OrganochlOrine pesticide residues show no dietary intake while
organophosphorous contaminates the diet at very low amounts from chlorpyrifos,
cnlorpyrifos-rna and profenophos. Conceming the contamination of the total diet by
heavy metals as general reveals no exceeding for the corresponding PMADI or PTWI
established by the World Health Organization (WHO). The contamination of the diet
by Cu, Cd and Pb was 3.7%, 3.5% and 3.2% respectively while nitrates contributed
with 25.7% of the AD!. In conclusIon we can consider the studied diets as safe and
clean taking into consideration that the daily intake of potato chips. liver. fatafel and
medames should be decreased its daily intakes.