Preliminary Estimates of Costs of Foodborne Disease in Canada and Costs to Reduce Salmonellosis

Abstract

Estimates of cases of foodborne disease of microbiological, parasitic, animal, plant, and chemical origin were determined for Canada based on the limited information available. The reported number of 6,190 was multiplied by a factor of 350 to reach the figure of 2.2 million cases probably occurring each year. Foodborne disease was also a direct or indirect cause of a possible 31.2 deaths, mainly because of E. coli hemorrhagic colitis, salmonellosis, and listeriosis. Costs of 68 separate incidents were determined and used to measure the economic impact of different foodborne diseases. The total amount, including the value of deaths estimated to have occurred, came to $1,334.6 million in 1985 dollars, of which 88% was caused by microbiological diseases. This large sum of money for only one developed country can be reduced by various programs, such as education, good manufacturing and food handling practices, appropriate sanitation procedures, and for certain diseases like salmonellosis, irradiation of foods and competitive exclusion of pathogens in food animals. All these preventive measure require cooperation by the food industry, government, educational institutes, and international organizations.