As the global population grows and ages, understanding consumption habits is becoming increasingly important, particularly in the context of the rising availability of ultra‑processed foods. Although access to high‑quality food has improved, many modern diets are dominated by energy-dense, nutritionally poor products that are easy to overconsume and linked to adverse health outcomes. Analysing food-intake-related biomarkers in pooled, anonymised urine samples collected through pathology networks provides chemical evidence of consumption. Offering a powerful approach that captures population-level consumption trends. The project so far has focused particularly on biomarkers associated with ultra-processed foods, including artificial sweeteners (such as acesulfame, sucralose, cyclamate and saccharin) and markers of fried, protein-rich foods (e.g. acrylamide metabolites).
Using these data, the study investigates how consumption varies according to age, sex, socioeconomic status, geographic location and time. Early findings reveal meaningful differences between demographic groups. For example, higher exposures to certain artificial sweeteners have been observed in children compared to adults, and distinct temporal trends suggest changing consumption patterns over the past decade. These insights highlight population groups that may be disproportionately exposed to less healthy dietary components due to structural factors such as accessibility, availability and costs.
By generating longitudinal evidence of consumption patterns, this research contributes to a better understanding of the consumption of certain food groups at the population level. The findings have important implications for public health, supporting the development of targeted strategies and policies to address food inequalities across Australia.
Conference Abstracts
Schroter, N., O’Brien, J.W., Bade, R., Toms, L.M.L., Hobson, P., Langguth, D. & Mueller, J.F. Biomonitoring artificial sweeteners and acrylamide in children and adults using pooled urine analysis, Queensland Mass Spectrometry Symposium, Brisbane, Australia, 28-29 January 2026.
Community Outreach
- 2026 Pint of Science presentation, What Can We(e) Reveal
Research Outputs
Awards
- 2026 Queensland Mass Spectrometry Symposium, Winner Lightning Talk Biomonitoring Artificial Sweeteners and Acrylamide in Children and Adults Using Pooled Urine Analysis
