Economic Cost of Foodborne Illness in the UK

The total economic burden of foodborne disease in the UK was estimated at £9 billion in 2015 (FSA/COI model). This includes:

• Direct medical costs (NHS treatment, hospitalization)
• Lost productivity (work absence, caregiver time)
• Pain, grief, suffering (willingness-to-pay valuation)
• Business costs (recalls, litigation, reputation)
• Public sector response (outbreak investigation, surveillance)

Specific "food poisoning" (acute gastroenteritis) costs were not separately quantified in this estimate. Major pathogens: Campylobacter, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Norovirus. Ongoing work refines attribution and cost-of-illness models.