WHO reports unsafe foods cause 1.5 million deaths annually worldwide

The World Health Organization released a study covering 42 food‑related risks in 194 countries between 2000 and 2021. It estimates that unsafe and contaminated foods lead to about 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths each year, amounting to a global public‑health crisis.

Children under five are especially vulnerable; their risk of dying from food‑borne disease is nearly three times higher than that of older age groups. Africa and Southeast Asia account for roughly three‑quarters of all cases and 60 % of the deaths.

Biological contaminants such as bacteria, viruses and parasites cause the majority of illnesses, while chemical hazards—chiefly inorganic arsenic (42 % of chemical‑related deaths) and lead (31 %)—drive a disproportionate share of mortality. The WHO warns that climate change and rising antimicrobial resistance will aggravate the problem.

The organization also calculated an economic impact of $647 billion in lost productivity each year due to illness from unsafe foods.