Food safety, nutrition and food security are inextricably linked.
An estimated 600 million – almost 1 in 10 people in the world – fall ill after eating contaminated food and 420 000 die every year, resulting in the loss of 33 million healthy life years (DALYs).
US$ 110 billion is lost each year in productivity and medical expenses resulting from unsafe food in low- and middle-income countries.
Children under 5 years of age carry 40% of the foodborne disease burden, with 125 000 deaths every year.
Foodborne diseases impede socioeconomic development by straining health care systems and harming national economies, tourism and trade.
