The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly 9.9 million people (or a population that’s a bit more than New Jersey) contract foodborne illnesses every year. Of those, an estimated 53,300 people are hospitalized and 931 die.
Foodborne illnesses are severely underreported; some outbreaks are never reported to local health departments, and some are never formally identified because individuals do not seek medical assistance. The CDC’s National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) collects all the data it can, but reporting is voluntary.
Based NORS data, the number of reported illnesses decreased 65% from 1998 to 2023. In 2023, 9,521 Americans reported becoming sick from a foodborne illness.
Foodborne illnesses were lowest during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: one study identified a 26% drop in 2020 compared to 2017 to 2019 averages. Outbreaks during pandemic years (2020 to 2022) were 64.5% lower than in 2014 to 2016, attributable to scaled-back restaurant services, fewer large gatherings (events, buffets, parties), and better hygiene practices (masks, sanitization, more hand washing). The CDC also attributes some of the decrease to the staffing challenges during that time.
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What is a foodborne illness? What causes them?
Foodborne illnesses are caused by harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances found in food. These contaminants lead to a range of symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and, in severe cases, death. According to the Food and Drug Administration, when “two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink,” it’s an outbreak.
Food can be contaminated at any point — production, processing, distribution, or preparation — and can be caused by biological contaminants (viruses and bacteria), chemical contaminants (e.g., heavy metals like lead and mercury), and unintentional physical contaminants (e.g., broken glass or pieces of plastic).
Are foodborne illnesses contagious?
Are foodborne illnesses contagious?
Some foodborne illnesses spread from person to person through close contact, and contagious foodborne illnesses can also spread when an infected person transmits germs to food while handling it. Norovirus is an example of a viral foodborne illness that spreads via “ill or infected food employees in food establishments.” It requires “a living host in order to replicate and [is] therefore incapable of multiplying in food.”
Other foodborne illnesses spread through non-contact means, like water or soil that contain toxins. Toxins can be produced by some algal species, viruses, or parasites.
Is food poisoning the same thing as foodborne illness?
Is food poisoning the same thing as foodborne illness?
Although these terms are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between the two. Food poisoning is a type of foodborne illness — all food poisoning is a foodborne illness, but not all foodborne illnesses are food poisoning.
Food poisoning generally refers to the immediate symptoms of eating contaminated food, like nausea, rather than the root cause of the illness. Feeling sick soon after eating is called “intoxication” and is usually caused by bacteria from improper food preparation or storage, or chemical or physical contaminants.
Foodborne illnesses can also be caused by viruses or parasites as well as bacteria, and is referred to as “infection.” Symptoms may take longer to appear, and the recovery period may be longer than for intoxication.
What are the most common types of foodborne illnesses?
The CDC estimates that norovirus is the top foodborne pathogen, sickening an average of 5.5 million people a year.
It’s followed by campylobacter (1.87 million illnesses), salmonella (1.28 million), clostridium perfringens (889K), STEC known commonly as “E. coli" (357K), and listeria (1,250).
How many people die from foodborne illnesses?
From 1998 to 2023, 535 Americans died from reported foodborne illness, 14 of them in 2023. However, because of underreporting, annual foodborne illness deaths are estimated to be as high as 931 per year.
Salmonella is estimated to be the top pathogen that results in deaths, followed by the campylobacter bacteria.
How many people are hospitalized from foodborne illness?
The CDC estimates that norovirus is the top pathogen that leads to the most hospitalizations, ranging between nearly 9,600 and 39,900 hospitalizations per year.
Norovirus is followed by campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli. Toxoplasma causes the sixth-most estimated hospitalizations and deaths.
Who’s most susceptible to foodborne illness?
Anyone can get a foodborne illness, but the most susceptible include pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems due to conditions like HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, or organ transplants. These groups are also more vulnerable to severe complications from pathogens like salmonella, E. coli, or Listeria.
Public health guidelines recommend that higher-risk people avoid raw and undercooked meats and seafood, soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk, unwashed vegetables, and raw or undercooked eggs.
What’s the best way to prevent foodborne illness?
Farmers, agricultural workers, and other people involved in food production and prep should follow recommended food safety practices to prevent the spread of germs:
- Washing your hands, surfaces, and cooking tools
- Separating raw foods from each other
- Cooking food long enough / to high enough temperatures
- Storing chilled and frozen foods properly
Regulatory agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are responsible for enforcing and monitoring food safety standards, conducting routine inspections, and implementing traceability systems to identify sources of contamination. The FDA has a dedicated network of teams for this purpose.
In April, the Department of Health and Human Services said it will cut 3,500 full-time FDA employees in compliance with an executive order from President Trump. The HHS reports that this will not affect food review and inspection, but it's unclear whether employee cuts will impact the FDA's work to prevent and trace foodborne illness. The FDA continued to update foodborne illness outbreaks in April.
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Page sources and methodology
All of the data on the page was sourced directly from government agencies. The analysis and final review was performed by USAFacts.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Outbreak Reporting System
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Foodborne Illness Acquired in the United States—Major Pathogens, 2019
