Food is essential for life, health, and human development. Yet for millions of people across the world, it remains a source of disease, disability, and death. A new assessment released by the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed the staggering scale of the global burden caused by unsafe food, estimating that contaminated food is responsible for nearly 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths annually. The findings offer one of the most comprehensive pictures to date of how foodborne diseases continue to affect populations across the globe, with young children carrying a disproportionate share of the burden.
The report underscores that food safety is not merely a matter of consumer awareness or kitchen hygiene. It is a complex public health challenge intertwined with poverty, environmental degradation, inadequate sanitation, weak regulatory systems, and unequal access to healthcare. Despite significant progress in reducing some foodborne diseases since the beginning of the century, the latest estimates show that unsafe food continues to exact an enormous human and economic cost, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Among the most alarming findings is the heightened vulnerability of children under the age of five. Although this age group constitutes only around nine percent of the world’s population, young children account for nearly one-third of all foodborne disease cases. Their developing immune systems make them especially susceptible to infections and toxic exposures, while illnesses that may be manageable in healthy adults can become life-threatening in young children. Diarrhoeal diseases remain one of the leading consequences of contaminated food and continue to claim the lives of thousands of children every year.
The burden of unsafe food extends far beyond short-term illness. The report highlights how exposure to harmful substances in food during childhood can have lasting effects on physical and cognitive development. Certain chemical contaminants are capable of damaging the developing brain, impairing learning abilities, and causing lifelong neurological disorders. Such impacts can diminish educational attainment, reduce future productivity, and contribute to broader cycles of disadvantage that persist across generations.
Foodborne diseases arise from a wide range of biological and chemical hazards. Bacteria, viruses, and parasites continue to account for the overwhelming majority of illnesses. In 2021 alone, biological contaminants were responsible for approximately 860 million cases of disease worldwide. These hazards can enter the food chain at multiple stages, including production, processing, transportation, storage, and preparation. Poor sanitation, unsafe water, inadequate refrigeration, and improper food handling practices all contribute to the spread of contamination.
While biological hazards account for most illnesses, the report reveals that chemical contaminants are responsible for a disproportionately large share of deaths. According to the assessment, nearly three-quarters of all deaths linked to contaminated food in 2021 were associated with chemical exposures. This finding marks an important shift in understanding the true burden of foodborne disease, drawing attention to risks that often remain invisible to consumers and policymakers alike.
Among the most concerning chemical hazards are inorganic arsenic, lead, and methylmercury. These substances can enter food through polluted soil, contaminated water, industrial emissions, mining activities, and certain agricultural practices. Once present in the food chain, they can be difficult to eliminate. Long-term exposure to these contaminants has been linked to serious health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, developmental disorders, and intellectual disabilities.
The assessment estimates that inorganic arsenic and lead exposure together contribute to more than one million deaths annually. Inorganic arsenic alone accounts for a substantial share of chemical-related mortality due to its association with several forms of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Lead exposure continues to pose a significant threat to public health, particularly among children, where even low levels can impair cognitive development and reduce intellectual functioning. Methylmercury, meanwhile, remains a major concern because of its ability to damage the developing nervous system before and after birth.
The report also sheds light on the profound inequalities that characterize the global burden of foodborne disease. While unsafe food affects every region of the world, the consequences are far from evenly distributed. Africa and South-East Asia bear the greatest burden, together accounting for nearly three-quarters of all foodborne illnesses and approximately sixty percent of global deaths. These regions face a combination of challenges, including inadequate food safety systems, limited access to clean water and sanitation, weak healthcare infrastructure, and persistent poverty.
Rapid urbanization and population growth have further complicated efforts to ensure food safety. Expanding food supply chains create new opportunities for contamination, while increasing demand for processed and imported foods introduces additional risks. In many countries, regulatory authorities struggle to keep pace with evolving food systems, leaving consumers vulnerable to both traditional and emerging hazards.
Climate change is also emerging as an important factor influencing food safety. Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, floods, droughts, and extreme weather events can increase the prevalence and spread of foodborne pathogens. Warmer conditions may facilitate the growth of harmful bacteria, while environmental disruptions can increase the movement of contaminants through agricultural ecosystems. These developments are expected to intensify food safety challenges in the coming decades, particularly in regions already facing resource constraints.
Another growing concern is antimicrobial resistance. The widespread use of antibiotics in both human medicine and animal agriculture has contributed to the emergence of resistant microorganisms. When foodborne infections are caused by resistant pathogens, treatment becomes more difficult, increasing the risk of severe illness and death. Although antimicrobial-resistant bacteria were not fully included in the current estimates due to data limitations, experts acknowledge that they represent a significant and growing threat.
The economic consequences of unsafe food are equally striking. The report estimates that foodborne diseases resulted in approximately US$ 310 billion in lost productivity in 2021. This figure reflects the costs associated with illness, disability, absenteeism, and premature mortality. When adjusted for purchasing power and cost-of-living differences across countries, the economic burden rises to approximately US$647 billion. These losses place additional strain on healthcare systems, reduce workforce participation, and slow economic development, particularly in countries where resources are already limited.
The findings are based on an extensive analysis covering 194 countries over the period from 2000 to 2021. The assessment examined 42 major foodborne hazards, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, and chemical contaminants. It represents a significant expansion of previous studies by incorporating new hazards and health outcomes that had not been comprehensively assessed before. The inclusion of toxic metals and their long-term health consequences provides a more complete understanding of the true burden associated with unsafe food. At the same time, researchers caution that the current estimates may still underestimate the scale of the problem. Numerous hazards could not be fully evaluated due to insufficient data. These include pesticide residues, antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS or “forever chemicals.” Several health outcomes linked to food contamination were also excluded because of limited evidence, highlighting the urgent need for stronger surveillance systems, improved research capacity, and better national reporting mechanisms.
The report arrives at a crucial moment as governments and international organizations seek to strengthen food systems in the face of mounting global challenges. Ensuring food safety requires coordinated action across sectors, including health, agriculture, environment, industry, and trade. Preventing contamination at its source through stronger environmental protections, improved agricultural practices, stricter industrial controls, and enhanced monitoring systems is increasingly recognized as the most effective approach.
The WHO’s latest assessment serves as a reminder that food safety remains one of the most pressing yet underappreciated public health challenges of the modern era. Every meal consumed carries an implicit expectation of safety, yet for hundreds of millions of people that expectation is not always met. The persistence of foodborne diseases on such a vast scale demonstrates that progress in food production and distribution must be matched by equally robust investments in food safety.
As the world observes World Food Safety Day on June 7 under the theme “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere,” the new findings provide both a warning and a call to action. Reducing the toll of unsafe food will require sustained commitment, stronger regulation, scientific innovation, and international cooperation. The costs of inaction are measured not only in economic losses but in lives cut short, childhoods disrupted, and opportunities lost. Safe food remains a fundamental requirement for public health, human development, and social progress, making its protection an urgent global priority.
The author is a senior analyst and environmentalist. Feedback can be sent to [email protected]. Twitter/X: @haniefmha
