The Dietary Exposure Potential Model (DEPM) is a computer-based model developed for estimating dietary exposure to chemical residues in food. The DEPM is based on food consumption data from the 1987-1988 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey (NFCS) administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and on residue data from government-sponsored monitoring programs. Foods reported in the NFCS were categorized into exposure core foods (ECFs). A computer program for DOS-based personal computers was developed to link consumption of the ECFs with residue values observed in the foods. The data files utilized by the DEPM were designed in dBASE IV with FoxPro for Windows applications programs for queries and reporting. The program calculates exposure estimates for categories of core foods, such as grain dishes, fruits, or vegetables; for individual core foods, such as wheat and apple combination dishes; and for individual foods, such as apples or carrots. The program, residue summary databases, and core food consumption database permit the analyst to evaluate potential exposure of several population groups to various chemicals via the diet. The DEPM is not intended for risk assessments, but is a suitable tool for identifying data gaps and establishing priorities for research, and for identifying potentially significant foods for human exposure monitoring.