Why this is worth doing, in terms a business understands: the harm, the cost, and what happens when it goes wrong.
866 millionpeople fall ill after eating contaminated food each year, almost 1 in 9 worldwideWHO, June 2026
1.52 milliondie each yearWHO, June 2026
310 billion US dollarslost each year in productivity and medical expenses worldwideWHO, June 2026
About 3 billion Australian dollarsannual cost of foodborne illness to the Australian economyFSANZ, 2025 update
517 million Australian dollarsthe costliest single pathogen in that estimate, CampylobacterFSANZ, 2025 update
29%of the health burden falls on children under 5WHO, June 2026
The global estimates are far higher than the 600 million and 420,000 deaths still widely quoted, because WHO published new estimates in 2026 that cover more .