Numbers

On the basis of data gathered by Sciensano, in 2014:

• 370 outbreaks of food-borne infections were recorded in Belgium by the Food-borne Illness National Reference Laboratory (NRL)
• in total, at least 1,789 people became ill and 64 were hospitalised
• Bacillus cereus toxins were the most commonly reported pathogen behind an outbreak of food-borne illnesses
• Salmonella and Norovirus were the second-most identified agents of food infections
• raw egg preparations were the source of the greatest risk of Salmonella infection
• other identified germs were Coagulase-positive Staphylococci, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, histamine , ,
• 70.8% of notified outbreaks occurred in commercial establishments, such as restaurants (51.1%) and fast-food or take-out chains (19.7%)
• the number of outbreaks that occurred at home amounted to 18.1%. 

Please note!  The figures are likely to change Visit the Infectious Diseases and Communicable Diseases website.

On the basis of data collected by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (link is external), in 2014: 

• Campylobacteriosis (a disease caused by the Campylobacterbacterium) remains the most common food-borne illness reported in the European Union
• in food, Campylobacter has been mainly identified in chicken meat.
• 2,161 cases of Listeriosis were confirmed.

According to the World Health Organisation (link is external) (WHO) (link is external):

• 600 million people, or almost 1 in 10 people worldwide, fall ill each year after consuming contaminated food and 420,000 people die
• diarrhoeal diseases are the most common disorders resulting from the consumption of contaminated food, affecting 550 million people per year and causing 230,000 deaths per year.