The economic costs of foodborne illness

Some 48 million Americans get sick from foodborne illnesses per year. These illnesses send more than 100,000 of those afflicted people to the hospital. Some 3,000 people die every year in the United States from foodborne illnesses. In total, foodborne illnesses cost the U.S. more than $15 billion annually.

This is a massive sum of money, one roughly equal to the GDP of Senegal.

Foodborne illnesses are at the heart of food safety — they are what we work to prevent. They are caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins, and chemicals, and they result in a wide range of possible diseases, some familiar, some not. There are more than 250 foodborne illnesses in existence. A mere 15 pathogens are responsible for 95% of them. Some of the most common pathogens that cause foodborne illnesses are norovirus, salmonella, and staphylococcus. Some less common but more serious foodborne illnesses include the widely feared listeria and botulism.

Contamination can occur anywhere in the food production chain. It can happen in the soil. It can happen at the market or grocery store. It can happen as you cook your food at home, or chill meat to too high a temperature, or fail to sterilize a jar properly before pickling.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that the economic costs of foodborne illnesses are linked closely to the number of deaths that particular illnesses cause.

The data proves the USDA’s assertion. Salmonella causes the most annual deaths at about 400. The illness costs the U.S. $4 billion per year. Listeria is a another of the most costly foodborne illnesses at almost $3 billion per year, resulting in some 250 deaths. Norovirus results in 150 deaths and costs about $2.25 billion a year.

On the other hand, Cyclospora cayetanensis, a disease caused by greens contaminated with feces, is nonfatal. The 11,000 annual cases of illness that result generally result in 0 deaths. Disease that results from this pathogen only cost about $2 million a year.

The economic costs of foodborne illness are high. The costs are far from the hundreds of billions, but they are in the tens, and there are costs beyond economic costs, especially when discussing hospitalizations and deaths. It is encouraging, though, that foodborne illness is largely preventable. With resources like the USDA’s guide to minimizing the chance of illness, and with modern tools like Qwerks, we are confident that the costs of foodborne illness can be minimized, economic and otherwise.