Foodborne illnesses, food poisoning, environmental contaminants and food safety in the world: a comprehensive mini review

Abstract

Food safety remains an absolute cornerstone of global public health and socioeconomic stability. Unsafe food causes an estimated 866 million illnesses and 1.52 million deaths globally each year, resulting in an annual economic loss of US$ 310 billion across the globe. The main objective of this mini-review is to synthesize current knowledge on foodborne pathogens, food additives, heavy metals, microplastics, emerging anthropogenic hazards, and advances in diagnostic methods. A total of 1,500 research articles retrieved from Google Scholar, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, and PubMed were systematically reviewed to compile this comprehensive review. Globally, an estimated 866 million (1 in 9 people) individuals experience illnesses annually from consuming contaminated food, resulting in approximately 1.52 million preventable deaths. This comprehensive mini-review paper critically evaluates major bacterial, viral, parasitic, chemical hazards and environmental contaminants. Furthermore, it provides a multidimensional analysis of emerging chemical threats, including microplastics in food systems, heavy metal contamination, and pesticide and fertilizer residues, as well as their potential associations with chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu). Finally, the paper explores state of-the-art diagnostic paradigms under a unified One Health framework proposed and implemented by the WHO and FAO. This review may support the food industry and policymakers in adopting modern technologies within the One Health framework to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses and non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and cancer.