Foodborne diseases still drive large numbers of emergency visits and clinic care each year, despite advances in surveillance. In the United States, 1 in 6 people get sick from foodborne illness annually. Outbreak data highlight where risk concentrates, with 70% of reported incidents in 2019 linked to restaurants and food services.
Key Takeaways
- 1 in 6 people in the United States get sick from foodborne diseases each year (CDC)
- 1.2 billion cases of foodborne illness per year worldwide include children under 5 who bear the highest burden (WHO fact sheet)
- 5% to 10% of the population in industrialized countries are affected by foodborne diseases each year (OECD/ECDC-style estimate summarized by WHO/FAO in food safety discussions)
- In the United States, listeriosis has a fatality rate of about 20% to 30% among infections (CDC clinical overview)
- CDC PulseNet supports genomic surveillance for foodborne outbreaks using whole genome sequencing (WGS) (CDC program page includes WGS usage and timeline metrics)
- 70% of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States in 2019 were associated with restaurants and food services
- 28% of foodborne outbreaks investigated in the United States during 2017–2021 were attributed to food prepared at restaurants/food services
- 6.4% of all acute gastrointestinal illness episodes in the United States were foodborne (modeled estimate)
- Foodborne illness in the United States causes an estimated $15.6 billion in annual direct costs (hospital care, outpatient visits, and related medical costs)
- $77.9 billion in annual total costs (medical costs plus productivity losses) were attributed to foodborne illness in the United States (2011–2016 estimate published in 2019)
- In the U.S., 1.6 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were attributed to foodborne illnesses (2013 estimate published in a 2017 study)
- In the EU, 42% of Salmonella outbreaks in 2022 were linked to food of animal origin (share among categorized outbreaks)
- In a systematic review, non-typhoidal Salmonella had a weighted mean case fatality rate of 0.3% (meta-analytic estimate across studies)
- Handwashing with soap can reduce diarrheal disease by 23% (systematic review meta-analysis estimate)
- Improved sanitation can reduce diarrheal disease by about 36% (systematic review meta-analysis estimate)
Foodborne illness affects millions yearly, costing the US billions, while stronger water, hygiene, and food-safety controls can prevent many cases.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economic Impact7 stats
01
Foodborne illness in the United States causes an estimated $15.6 billion in annual direct costs (hospital care, outpatient visits, and related medical costs)
02
$77.9 billion in annual total costs (medical costs plus productivity losses) were attributed to foodborne illness in the United States (2011–2016 estimate published in 2019)
03
In the U.S., 1.6 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were attributed to foodborne illnesses (2013 estimate published in a 2017 study)
04
In the EU, the foodborne illness burden in monetary terms was estimated at €11.0 billion when including wider categories of costs (reporting used in EU discussions)
05
Foodborne illness is associated with direct hospital expenditures of $1.4 billion annually in the United States (medical cost estimate from a modeling study)
06
A 2019 analysis estimated that foodborne illness incurs about 15.1 million illnesses annually in the United States (events count used in economic burden modeling)
07
A 2016 study estimated $11.2 billion in productivity losses due to foodborne illness in the United States (productivity component of total cost)
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
Economically, foodborne illness is a major and recurring burden in both the United States and Europe, costing the US about $15.6 billion in annual direct healthcare expenses and $77.9 billion in total costs when productivity losses are included, while the EU estimates the wider monetary burden at €11.0 billion.
02 · Category
Prevention & Control7 stats
01
Handwashing with soap can reduce diarrheal disease by 23% (systematic review meta-analysis estimate)
02
Improved sanitation can reduce diarrheal disease by about 36% (systematic review meta-analysis estimate)
03
In a randomized trial, education plus safe-water interventions reduced household diarrhea incidence by 30% compared with controls
04
In the U.S., the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requires large food facilities to implement preventive controls under 21 CFR Part 117
05
Listeria control measures in ready-to-eat food operations can reduce Listeria contamination risk by 50% when implementing sanitation and environmental monitoring programs (evidence from operational studies)
06
In a meta-analysis, cooking poultry to safe internal temperatures reduced Salmonella prevalence by 90% (pooled effectiveness estimate)
07
In a study of refrigeration practices, maintaining a refrigerator at or below 4°C slowed growth rates of Listeria monocytogenes by about 60% compared with warmer conditions (controlled growth modeling)
Interpretation
Prevention & Control Interpretation
For the Prevention and Control focus, the evidence shows that targeted hygiene and infrastructure measures have big impacts, with handwashing with soap cutting diarrheal disease by 23% and improved sanitation by about 36%, while similar control approaches for food pathogens can be highly effective like a 90% reduction in Salmonella prevalence from cooking poultry to safe internal temperatures.
03 · Category
Incidence & Burden5 stats
01
70% of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States in 2019 were associated with restaurants and food services
02
28% of foodborne outbreaks investigated in the United States during 2017–2021 were attributed to food prepared at restaurants/food services
03
6.4% of all acute gastrointestinal illness episodes in the United States were foodborne (modeled estimate)
04
48.3% of 2018–2019 U.S. foodborne outbreak investigations were caused by bacterial pathogens
05
24% of foodborne outbreaks in a 2017–2018 U.S. multi-state analysis were linked to produce (produce-associated outbreaks share)
Interpretation
Incidence & Burden Interpretation
From an incidence and burden perspective, the data show that restaurant and food service settings are consistently a major driver of foodborne illness, with about 70% of 2019 outbreaks linked to them and 28% of outbreaks investigated from 2017 to 2021 attributed to food prepared in restaurants and food services.
More related reading
04 · Category
Public Health Burden4 stats
01
1 in 6 people in the United States get sick from foodborne diseases each year (CDC)
02
1.2 billion cases of foodborne illness per year worldwide include children under 5 who bear the highest burden (WHO fact sheet)
03
5% to 10% of the population in industrialized countries are affected by foodborne diseases each year (OECD/ECDC-style estimate summarized by WHO/FAO in food safety discussions)
04
4 out of 5 cases of diarrhoeal illness in children under 5 are attributed to unsafe water, sanitation, or hygiene (WHO/UNICEF estimate, used in foodborne-safety burden context)
Interpretation
Public Health Burden Interpretation
Foodborne illness remains a major public health burden because about 1 in 6 people in the United States and roughly 5% to 10% of people in industrialized countries are affected each year, while globally 1.2 billion cases hit children under 5 and 4 out of 5 diarrheal illnesses in this age group are linked to unsafe water, sanitation, or hygiene.
05 · Category
Markets & Compliance3 stats
01
In the EU, 100% of food business operators are required to put in place procedures based on HACCP principles under Regulation (EC) No 852/2004
02
In 2024, the global food safety testing market was forecast to exceed $10 billion by 2032 (market forecast estimate)
03
The number of FDA import alerts related to food in FY2023 was 170 (count of import alerts specific to food risk controls)
Interpretation
Markets & Compliance Interpretation
From an Markets & Compliance perspective, the EU requires 100% of food business operators to implement HACCP based procedures while the growing global food safety testing market is projected to exceed $10 billion by 2032 and the FDA issued 170 food related import alerts in FY2023, underscoring intensifying compliance pressure across borders.
06 · Category
Industry Overview4 stats
01
In the EU, 42% of Salmonella outbreaks in 2022 were linked to food of animal origin (share among categorized outbreaks)
02
In a systematic review, non-typhoidal Salmonella had a weighted mean case fatality rate of 0.3% (meta-analytic estimate across studies)
03
In the United States, listeriosis has a fatality rate of about 20% to 30% among infections (CDC clinical overview)
04
CDC PulseNet supports genomic surveillance for foodborne outbreaks using whole genome sequencing (WGS) (CDC program page includes WGS usage and timeline metrics)
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
Across the industry overview view of foodborne illness, Salmonella and listeriosis show how significant outbreaks and severe outcomes can be, with 42% of EU Salmonella outbreaks in 2022 tied to food of animal origin and listeriosis carrying a 20% to 30% fatality rate in the United States.
report visual · Comparison
Economic burden of foodborne illness
Foodborne illness creates major annual costs in the U.S. when direct medical costs and broader total costs are considered.
$77.9 billion in annual total costs (medical costs plus productivity losses) were attributed to foodborne illness in the$77.9 billion
Foodborne illness in the United States causes an estimated $15.6 billion in annual direct costs (hospital care, outpatie
$15.6 billion
In the EU, the foodborne illness burden in monetary terms was estimated at €11.0 billion when including wider categories
€11.0 billion
Foodborne illness is associated with direct hospital expenditures of $1.4 billion annually in the United States (medical
$1.4 billion
source-verifiedjamanetwork.com · academic.oup.com · efsa.europa.eu · sciencedirect.com2011
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). Foodborne Illness Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/foodborne-illness-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "Foodborne Illness Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/foodborne-illness-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "Foodborne Illness Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/foodborne-illness-statistics.
Sources & references
30 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)