Unsafe Food Kills 1.52 Million Annually, Children Most Vulnerable: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released updated global estimates on the burden of foodborne diseases, revealing that unsafe food leads to approximately 1.52 million deaths and 866 million illnesses worldwide each year. This critical information was published on June 4, 2026, ahead of World Food Safety Day, underlining the pervasive and often underestimated threat of contaminated food to global public health and economies. The report, compiled by WHO's Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG) for 2021–2025, represents a comprehensive assessment covering 42 microbiological and chemical hazards. It highlights that the global burden of foodborne diseases is comparable to that of major infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, or malaria, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced food safety measures. One of the most alarming findings is the disproportionate impact on young children. Children under the age of five, who constitute only nine percent of the global population, bear nearly one-third of all foodborne disease cases and face almost three times the risk of illness compared to older children and adults. These illnesses often manifest as severe diarrhoeal diseases, which can be fatal for this vulnerable age group. Beyond immediate illness, exposure to chemical hazards like methylmercury and lead in contaminated food can severely impair brain development, leading to lifelong neurological and developmental problems in children. While biological hazards, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites, are responsible for the vast majority of foodborne illnesses (approximately 860 million cases in 2021), chemical contamination accounts for a strikingly high percentage of deaths. The report indicates that chemical hazards were responsible for 73 percent of all food-related deaths in 2021. Inorganic arsenic and lead were identified as the primary contributors to these fatalities, largely due to their role in increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancers, collectively linked to over one million deaths. The economic toll of unsafe food is also substantial. The study estimates that foodborne diseases resulted in approximately US$310 billion in lost productivity in 2021. When adjusted for cost-of-living differences between countries, this figure escalates to an estimated US$647 billion in lost productivity, highlighting a significant global economic drain. The burden of foodborne diseases is not uniformly distributed across the globe. Major regional inequalities persist, with Africa and Southeast Asia carrying the heaviest load. These regions collectively account for nearly three-quarters of all foodborne illnesses and 60 percent of deaths worldwide. This underscores the critical need for targeted interventions and strengthened food safety infrastructures in these areas. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that "Food safety is not an abstract issue – it touches every meal, every family, every day." He stressed that while unsafe food has always been a public health concern, these new estimates provide a clearer and more comprehensive picture of its devastating human and economic impact. The report also notes that despite an overall decline in the total foodborne disease burden since 2000, new challenges are emerging. Climate change, for instance, is exacerbating contamination risks, and the rise of antimicrobial resistance makes treating foodborne infections increasingly difficult. In response to these findings, the WHO calls on governments and stakeholders worldwide to strengthen their food safety systems. Recommended measures include improving water, sanitation, and hygiene practices, promoting safer food handling, and ensuring better access to healthcare for vulnerable populations. The organization encourages national authorities to invest in robust food safety systems and to utilize the new data to target interventions and resources effectively. These efforts are crucial for turning data into actionable solutions to reduce the burden of unsafe food and to achieve the goals of the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety 2022–2030.

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