FORUM: "From burden to solutions. Safe food everywhere" World Food Safety Day 2026. Foodborne diseases may affect everyone everywhere, and
understanding the extent of the burden allows national
authorities and business owners to take targeted action.
Reliable data on the health burden of unsafe food is the
foundation for evidence-based policies, coordinated
multisectoral action, and informed consumer choices.
World Food Safety Day theme
Everyone in the food chain—from farmers and producers,
to transporters, retailers, food inspectors, cooks and
consumers—benefits from science and clear guidance on
how to prevent contamination and illness. Governments
can translate data into cost-effective policies and
interventions, food businesses can improve practices,
and individuals can make evidence-based decisions. This
World Food Safety Day we emphasize that health data is
power: understanding the magnitude, distribution and
impact of risks in food allows us to make food as safe as
possible.
Sustained commitment, supported by robust data and
science, can help address the burden of foodborne disease
through practical solutions, ensuring that food is safe for
everyone, everywhere and appropriate health services are
provided to those affected. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #7june, #ScienceinAction, #Foodsafety, #WorldFoodSafetyDay.
World Food Safety Day is an annual reminder of the huge burden of food born disease.
Food should be a source of health and life, but for so many people it's a cause of disease and death. This year, WHO is releasing new estimates on the burden of food born disease, providing the most comprehensive picture to date of the impact of unsafe food.
Until now, we lack the bigger picture of the staggering human and economic toll of the foodborn disease burden. About 860 million people fell ill with foodborn disease in 2021. the most recent year for which data are available.
Foodborn bacteria, viruses, and parasites account for the vast majority. Chemical exposures represent less than 1% of all food born illnesses, but account for 73% of deaths. And although children under five make up just 9% of the wool's population, they suffer almost onethird of the global burden of foodborn disease.
In 2021alone, foodborn disease caused more than 300 billion US dollars in global productivity losses.
Low and lower middle inome countries bear the greatest economic burden and the challenge is becoming more complex. Climate change is increasing risks while antimicrobial resistance is making infections harder to treat.
But these estimates are not only about burden. They're also about solutions.
WHO estimates demonstrate that the total foodborne disease burden have since 2000.
For the first time, countries now have their own data to identify where the burden is highest, which had caused the greatest harm and which populations are most affected.
With that knowledge, governments can prioritize, take a multis sectoral approach, and find the political will to protect their people.
We already have the tools. We know what to do. Together, we can make food what it should be, safe, healthy, and a source of life.
I thank you.
Dr. Tedros, WHO Director-General.
PUBLICATION: WHO estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases 2000–2021: Key findings from the 2026 edition.
COMMUNICATION MATERIALS: This communication toolkit was developed by WHO and FAO to present information about World Food Safety Day 2026 and this year’s theme, and to share ideas on how to take part in the celebrations on (or around) 7 June 2026.Get the World Food Safety Day 2026: From burden to solutions – safe food everywhere toolkit. Download the communication toolkit.
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