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The annual cost of foodborne illness in Australia by food commodities and pathogens
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 The annual cost of foodborne illness in Australia by food commodities and pathogens
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The attribution of foodborne illness costs to food commodity groups is currently only partially understood for Australia. This report estimates the annual cost of foodborne illness in Australia by food commodities and pathogens.
It extends on prior work with the scope increased to include ten pathogens. The combination of pathogen specific foodborne illness cost estimates and expert elicitation attribution proportions were used to provide initial estimates for costings to food commodities.
Foodborne disease costs Australia AUD 2.81 billion each year (2023 inflation-adjusted estimate), with high-cost illnesses including:
- campylobacteriosis and its sequelae (annual cost of AUD 420 million),
- non-typhoidal salmonellosis and its sequelae (AUD 161 million),
- norovirus (AUD 147 million), and listeriosis (AUD 90 million).
However, attribution of these costs to specific food commodity groups remains a challenge for Australia and elsewhere. This information is obviously important when making regulatory decisions.
