The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new global estimates showing that unsafe food causes around 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths every year, with young children facing the highest risk.
According to WHO, children under five years old, who make up just nine percent of the global population, account for nearly one‑third of all foodborne disease cases.
The report highlights that diarrheal diseases remain the leading cause of foodborne illness in this age group, while chemical hazards such as inorganic arsenic, lead, and methylmercury pose long‑term risks to brain development and increase the likelihood of heart disease and cancers.
WHO Director‑General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said food safety is not an abstract issue but one that touches every meal, every family, every day. He stressed that countries now have national‑level data to identify where the burden is highest and prioritize interventions.
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The updated analysis, covering 42 major foodborne hazards across 194 countries from 2000 to 2021, found that biological hazards such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites caused most illnesses, while chemical exposures accounted for nearly three‑quarters of deaths.
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The study also estimated that foodborne diseases led to 310 billion US dollars in lost productivity in 2021, rising to 647 billion when adjusted for cost‑of‑living differences.
Regional inequalities remain stark, with Africa and South‑East Asia bearing nearly three‑quarters of all foodborne illnesses and 60 percent of deaths.
WHO technical officer Yuki Minato noted that foodborne diseases are persistent and worsened by climate change and antimicrobial resistance, calling for a One Health approach that integrates human, animal, plant, and environmental health.
WHO emphasized that unsafe food is also a crisis of equity, disproportionately affecting children and people in low‑resource communities.
Alongside the global findings, WHO advised households to adopt five simple measures to reduce the risk of foodborne disease at home.
Keep clean
WHO advises households to wash hands regularly, clean surfaces thoroughly, and protect food from contamination by insects and animals.
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Separate raw and cooked
Raw foods, along with the knives, boards, and containers used on them, should be kept apart from cooked foods to prevent cross contamination.
Cook Thoroughly
Heating food properly is essential, as thorough cooking kills almost all dangerous microorganisms.
Keep food at safe temperatures
Cooked food should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours. Refrigerate promptly at 5°C or below, and keep hot foods at 60°C or above.
Use safe water and raw materials
Households are encouraged to use safe water, select fresh foods, wash fruits and vegetables carefully, and choose pasteurized products whenever possible.
The release comes ahead of World Food Safety Day on June 7, 2026, themed “From burden to solutions – safe food everywhere.”
WHO urged governments to strengthen surveillance, improve agricultural practices, and invest in food safety systems to reduce the global toll.
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