Although new WHO findings show that the US has a relatively low disease burden compared to the rest of the world, the economic impact of global foodborne disease and the extent of chemical hazards are significant to both the US and the global population.
The World Health Organization (WHO) study on the Estimates of the Global, Regional, and National Burden of 42 Foodborne Infectious and Chemical Hazards, 2000–21, released in early June, updates the previous 2015 estimates and shows continuing concern for the global impact of foodborne hazards. The 2026 edition also expanded on previous studies by including more chemical and microbiological hazards, such as rotavirus, Trypanosoma cruzi, and four metals (inorganic arsenic, lead, methylmercury, and cadmium).
As a country classified in the WHO Mortality Stratum A, the US is among the countries characterized by the lowest rates of both child and adult mortality in relation to disease and public health. This does not, however, relieve the burden of global foodborne disease on these countries, rather it makes it more important that they use their resources to help fight global issues.
But the US is not exempt from the impact of foodborne hazards. The report’s estimates focus on the disability-adjusted life year (DALY) – which represents the healthy life years lost due to premature death and years lived with disability for each of the considered hazards. While significantly lower than many other countries, the Americas Region (US, Canada, Cuba) held a mean rate of 144 per 100,000 population (compared to regions like sub-Saharan Africa with rates at 1261 per 100,000) in the 21 years of the study. Additionally, high-income countries, including the U.S., accounted for nearly $108 billion in lost productivity due to foodborne illnesses in 2021.
What also should be of high concern to the US is the WHO finding that, contrary to the general global focus on infectious disease, chemical hazards (inorganic arsenic, lead, and methylmercury) accounted for 76% (110 per 100,000) of the DALY rate of the US. Globally, chemical hazards were responsible for 73% of all foodborne deaths, with inorganic arsenic and lead as the leading causes.
Because of these high rates and the fact that chemicals like lead and arsenic are difficult to eliminate once they enter the food chain, the study emphasizes that high-income countries, such as the US, need to focus on preventing contamination at the source as well as managing consumption of the high-contributor foods.
Other global findings of the study were that inorganic arsenic, lead, and non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica resulted in the most DALYs; DALYs related to children under 5 were four times higher than that of older individuals; and overall DALYs were highest in certain African and SE Asian countries.
On the positive side, the study found that the total burden from all hazards decreased over the 2000–2021 period, particularly in the African region, likely due to improvements in food safety systems, water, sanitation, hygiene, and medical care. But, as discussed above, significant inequalities still exist around the world, with the overall burden of foodborne disease cited as similar in magnitude to that of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, or malaria.
It is just such magnitudes and inequalities that reinforce the need for high-income nations to prioritize food safety as critical public health and economic issues and to focus on developing strategies to improve the safety of the global food supply to benefit all peoples of all nations.
Summary: Although new WHO findings show that the US has a relatively low disease burden compared to the rest of the world, the economic impact of global foodborne disease and the extent of chemical hazards are significant to both the US and the global population. Inequalities still exist around the world, with the overall burden of foodborne disease cited as similar in magnitude to that of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, or malaria. It is just such magnitudes and inequalities that reinforce the need for high-income nations to prioritize food safety as critical public health and economic issues and to focus on developing strategies to improve the safety of the global food supply to benefit all peoples of all nations.
