Food Safety: The Global Burden of Contaminated Food

Contaminated food causes serious illness and death worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that about 600 million people fall ill each year after eating unsafe food, while roughly 420,000 die. Diarrhoea is the most common foodborne illness. It accounts for an estimated 550 million cases and 230,000 deaths annually. Children under five carry about 40% of the foodborne disease burden, with an estimated 125,000 deaths each year. Food poisoning also occurs frequently in homes. A WHO report found that about 30% of reported outbreaks in Europe happened in private households. Reported figures from the United States and Vietnam further show the scale of foodborne illness and the need for safer food handling at home and across the food supply chain.

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