Toxic metals and other harmful chemicals can be found in a number of foods, because of the way these foods are grown, processed or packaged for sale and consumption. The diet may be an important source of toxicant exposure for people who consume these foods. Several studies have shown that toxicant levels in food products are related to the levels of these chemicals in the human body. For example, processed grain products, rice, milk, dairy and baby foods were among the most important sources of inorganic arsenic exposure in European populations. However, there have been few studies to look at dietary predictors (particularly dietary patterns) in pregnancy and toxicant exposure in women and their offspring.