Unsafe food is responsible for an estimated 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths each year worldwide, according to new data released by the World Health Organization ahead of World Food Safety Day.
The findings highlight a major but often under-recognised global health burden, with children under five found to be especially vulnerable. Although they make up just 9% of the global population, they account for nearly one-third of all foodborne diseases, many involving severe and sometimes fatal diarrhoeal infections.
The report shows that most foodborne illnesses – around 860 million cases in 2021 – were caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites. However, chemical contamination was responsible for the majority of deaths linked to unsafe food.
According to WHO, chemical hazards accounted for 73% of food-related deaths in 2021, with inorganic arsenic and lead emerging as the leading contributors. Long-term exposure to these substances is associated with heart disease, cancers, and serious developmental damage in children.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the new estimates provide “the bigger picture of its staggering human and economic toll,” calling food safety a critical but underestimated public health issue.
The report also links food contamination to unsafe water, poor handling practices, and environmental pollution entering the food chain. It warns that climate change and antimicrobial resistance are worsening risks and making infections harder to treat.
Beyond health impacts, the economic cost is severe. Foodborne diseases caused an estimated $310 billion in productivity losses in 2021, rising to about $647 billion when adjusted for cost-of-living differences.
Researchers say the findings should push governments to strengthen surveillance systems and improve coordination across health, agriculture, and environmental sectors to reduce preventable deaths and illnesses.
Unhealthy Diet Reduces Deep Sleep
An old study published in a medical journal has found that eating an unhealthy, highly processed diet may reduce the quality of deep sleep, even when total sleep duration remains unchanged.
Researchers observed that participants who followed a diet high in sugar, saturated fat, and ultra-processed foods showed lower slow-wave brain activity during deep sleep compared with when they consumed a healthier, more balanced diet with the same calorie intake.
While the amount of sleep and overall sleep structure stayed similar across both diets, the depth and restorative quality of deep sleep were noticeably reduced after the unhealthy eating pattern. In some cases, the effect persisted into the following night even after returning to a normal diet.
Deep sleep is essential for physical recovery, hormone regulation, and brain function, and the findings suggest that food choices may influence not just general health but also how effectively the body and brain recover during sleep.
