In collaboration with WHO, RIVM has developed a format for submitting data to the food consumption database in the GEMS/Food programme. Presently, this format is used for this purpose. RIVM analyses these new food consumption data (quality check) and includes them in the programme. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) use these data to assess the health risks of food chemicals.

The inclusion of new food consumption data in the GEMS/Food programme is a continuous process. The goal of this activity is that the most up-to-date food consumption data is available to assess the health risk of food chemicals. 

Additionally, as part of this activity, RIVM updates existing tools, the IESTI and the IEDI, to estimate respectively the acute and chronic dietary exposure to pesticide residues by implementing consumption data submitted to WHO. These tools are used by the JMPR and are published on the WHO website.

Furthermore, RIVM will assist WHO in developing a new exposure tool based on individual food consumption data. This tool can be used by JMPR to assess the exposure to pesticide residues for a period early in life (infant, toddler, young children) and for situations in which a high exposure is anticipated for more than one day in life.