More than 860 million people fall ill and 1.5 million die worldwide every year due to unsafe food, the World Health Organization has warned.
In a new report published ahead of World Food Safety Day on 7 June, the WHO estimates that millions of people across the world suffer severe health consequences as a result of contaminated or poorly handled food.
“Food safety is not an abstract issue — it touches every meal, every family, every day,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
“Unsafe food has always been a major public health concern, but until now we lacked the bigger picture of its staggering human and economic toll.”
“For the first time, countries have their own data to see where the burden is highest. With that knowledge, governments can prioritize the actions needed to protect people’s health.”
