One third dead of foodborne diseases are children.

Almost one third (30%) of all deaths from foodborne diseases are in children under the age of 5 years, despite the fact that they make up only 9% of the global population. This is among the findings of WHO's "Estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases" - the most comprehensive report to date on the impact of contaminated food on health and well-being, issued from Geneva. The report, which estimates the burden of foodborne diseases caused by 31 agents - bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins and chemicals - states that each year as many as 600 million, or almost 1 in 10 people in the world, fall ill after consuming contaminated food. Of these, 420000 people die, including 125 000 children under the age of 5 years. Until now, estimates of foodborne diseases were vague and imprecise. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]