WHO estimates unsafe food causes 866 million illnesses a year

Published by Albis · 11 Jun 2026

Updated WHO estimates put the global burden of foodborne disease at about 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths annually, with children under five and African countries carrying a disproportionate share of the harm

• • The scale of food-borne disease makes this a major everyday public-health and development story that remains consistently under-covered.
• • Public-health transmission chain.
• • Unsafe food causes an estimated 866 million illnesses and about 1.5 million deaths worldwide each year, according to reporting on updated World Health Organization estimates.
• • Food Safety Magazine reported the more precise WHO figure as approximately 866 million illnesses and 1.52 million deaths in 2021 across 42 hazards.