June 4, 2026
Unsafe food causes an estimated 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths every year worldwide, according to new data from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
This highlights the often-overlooked toll of contaminated food on health, development, and fragile economies.
The new insights, released on Wednesday, ahead of next week’s World Food Safety Day (WFSD), celebrated on June 7, show that children under five are particularly vulnerable.
Unsafe food is any food that may cause illness, injury, or physical harm when consumed.
