Food Poisoning Statistics

You may hear about food poisoning outbreaks in the United States. Maybe you’ve known someone who was sickened with E.coli bacteria or Salmonella. But how often does it actually happen? We’ve compiled a list statistics so you can see how often food poisoning and foodborne illnesses occur.

Food Poisoning Statistics (National)

• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, disease outbreaks from imported foods rose in 2009-2010. There were 39 outbreaks linked to food imported from 15 countries, which sickened 2,348 people (from 2005-2010). Nearly half of them happened in 2009 and 2010. Salmonella was the most common cause of the outbreaks, causing 34% of them. Food types included fish, fresh peppers, and spices and dried peppers.
• Approximately one in six Americans (48 million people) is sickened by foodborne illnesses every year.
• Roughly 128,000 people are hospitalized annually for foodborne illnesses.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that more than 3,000 people would die due to food poisoning or foodborne illnesses in 2011.
• Outbreaks on cruise ships and in nursing homes cause an estimated 60% of food poisoning-related illnesses — with Salmonella being the leading cause.

2011 Foodborne Illness Statistics (Estimates)

• There are two major groups of foodborne illnesses — 31 known pathogens were predicted to cause 9.4 million illnesses in 2011. About 55,961 people would be hospitalized, and 1,351 would die due to one of these known pathogens.
• “Unspecified pathogens” were predicted to cause 38.4 million illnesses, hospitalize 71,878, and kill 1,686 people in 2011.
• Eight known pathogens cause the majority of illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths related to food poisoning or foodborne illnesses. They include: Norovirus, Salmonella, Clostridium perforingens (nicknamed the “cafeteria germ”), Campylobacter spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Toxoplasma gondii, and Listeria monocytogenes.

Victim of Food Poisoning? Get a Free Legal Evaluation Now

Did you suffer from food poisoning? Were you sickened by a foodborne illness, and do you have piles of medical bills? If so, contact Edgar Snyder & Associates right away. You may have a case, but evidence disappears quickly, and there are time limits to file a claim.

Call 1-866-9-4EDGAR (1-866-943-3427), or fill out the form at the top right of this webpage for a free case review. There’s no obligation to use our services, so you have nothing to lose. Find out if you have a case today.