These studies were designed to provide current information relative to the average dietary fluoride intake for several age groups in the United States. """"""""Market Basket"""""""" food collections consisting of 11 or 12 composite food groups (Table 1) from several cities with water supplies containing different levels of fluoride were obtained from the Food and Drug Administration. Each composite prepared according to Shopping and Composition Guides (1965-1966) reflects the actual consumption of various food items and regional differences during a 14-day period by an average 6-month or 2-year-old child or a 28-day period for the young male adult (16-19 years of age) living in each of the four Dietary Regions of the United States (South, North Central, North East and West). This research is providing a broad base of reliable information on the daily fluoride intakes of infants and toddlers in the United States and a firm scientific basis for evaluating current fluoride supplementation schedules for infants and young children. The investigation will develop a correlation between water fluoride level and daily fluoride intake and make it easier to prescribe fluoride supplements. In addition, the research is designed to provide data on the nonionic fluorine content of foods in the United States which may result from natural processes or contamination occurring from packaging procedures.
