Annual cost of foodborne illness in Australia by food and pathogen
In 2023, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) commissioned the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University to estimate the annual economic burden of foodborne illness in Australia, breaking down the costs by food commodities and pathogens.
The total annual cost of foodborne diseases in Australia was found to be AUD 2.81 billion. The most expensive illnesses included campylobacteriosis and its long-term effects (AUD 420 million annually), non-typhoidal salmonellosis and its sequelae (AUD 161 million), norovirus (AUD 147 million), and listeriosis (AUD 90 million).
An expert elicitation process, led by Dr. Anca Hanea from the University of Melbourne, was conducted to link foodborne illnesses caused by eight key pathogens (non-typhoidal Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, Toxoplasma gondii, STEC, Yersinia, Vibrio, and Bacillus cereus) to specific food sources. Of the AUD 721 million estimated for the six pathogens studied, poultry was found to be the largest contributor, accounting for AUD 328 million, with AUD 279 million attributed to Campylobacter. Other significant food sources included vegetables (AUD 107 million), dairy (AUD 61 million), beef (AUD 56 million), and pork (AUD 56 million). Vegetables were linked to 26% of the costs from Salmonella and 23% of the costs from Listeria monocytogenes, while beef accounted for 34% of the costs from STEC and 23% of the costs from Toxoplasma gondii.
These findings offer valuable insights for policymaking and provide a flexible model framework that can be updated over time or adjusted in response to new interventions.
