Restaurants are where most of us contract food poisoning in the US. (Paywall may apply.)

1 in 6 Americans contracts food poisoning each year.

Severe cases of food poisoning have doubled even as food recalls dropped

Food recalls were down in 2024 by 5% as compared to 2023. But some researchers suspect that’s just because there were fewer inspections or fewer people reporting illnesses: Hospitalizations from food poisoning more than doubled during that same period, from 230 to 487, and deaths rose from 8 to 19.

Foodborne illnesses cost our country an estimated $74.7 billion in 2023

A US government estimate puts the cost of all foodborne illness in 2023 at almost $75 billion dollars. In a report published by the US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, government analysts detailed how the burden of foodborne illness includes medical costs, but also more hidden costs like lost wages. The analysis also breaks down estimated costs by pathogen.

Food poisoning investigations have led to more than 1 billion pounds of food recalls

PulseNet is the US government’s real-time foodborne illness tracking system for leading causes of food poisoning. There, a network of labs and scientists share DNA sequences for pathogens collected from contaminated food and also from sickened individuals, looking for patterns in the pathogens’ genome sequences that will help them hopefully finger a certain food, warehouse, producer, or restaurant.

Reporting food poisoning aids in limiting outbreaks

If you suspect you were sickened by meat or poultry or by other food products (or your pet was sickened), the US has different voluntary online reporting forms and hotlines you can call. There’s even one for concerns about potentially contaminated pet food products. If you were potentially sickened at a restaurant, however, you report that directly to state and local health departments, not the federal government.

Norovirus is the leading cause of food poisoning in the US

The illness is typically transmitted when virus-laden feces gets into another person’s mouth. That occurs when people do not properly wash their hands, contaminating food or surfaces.

Climate shifts are projected to cause more cases of food poisoning

Research published in 2024 suggests that with more severe heatwaves and natural disasters, scientists expect there to be a rise in foodborne disease, especially in Africa and Asia. Already, there are an estimated 600 million food poisoning cases and 420,000 deaths annually. Diarrhea is the most common cause of those deaths.

There were 23 reported cruise ship outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness in 2025—something that happens often enough that there's a whole program at the US CDC devoted to tracking them.

The US restaurant industry generates over $1T in sales

In 2024, the industry brought in $1.1T, and the National Restaurant Association anticipated reaching $1.5T in 2025, numbers that are considered a return to normal after the tumultuous years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The industry also employs a large workforce, with over 13 million employees. (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

Lengthy incubation periods are why it's tough to link foodborne illness to specific foods.

See the incubation periods for certain food poisoning-causing organisms

Read this chart that lists common food sources of different foodborne illness-causing pathogens and typical times between exposure and symptom onset.

We can get food poisoning from spending time in swimming pools, lakes, rivers, and ponds

Some of the same pathogens that may sicken us in food or water may also sicken us in recreational swimming environments. Bacteria can rub off of people’s (or animal’s) bodies or contaminate the water through a diarrheal episode. Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds before eating food if you are at the beach, pool, or other similar environments and being sure not to swallow the water are ways to help keep safe.

Pizza's popularity has waned in the 2020s

The food remains popular, but it has lagged behind the growth of other fast food spots like coffee shops and Mexican restaurants. It ranked sixth in US food sales from restaurant chains in 2024; it was in the second slot throughout the 1990s. (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

Food companies usually issue recalls voluntarily and you can be automatically notified about them

Protecting yourself from food poisoning means staying on top of food recall announcements. Notices about these from the US government, which you can automatically receive after signing up at this link, note what products have been recalled by food companies. Companies alert the US Food and Drug Administration or the US Department of Agriculture when they issue recalls so the public can stay informed.

Food poisoning can sometimes cause serious long-term health issues

Although foodborne illness can be relatively mild and cause short-term discomfort, more rarely it can also cause long-term severe health consequences, depending on your individual risk factors, the severity of your sickness, and the care you receive. Kidney failure is one serious complication associated with certain types of food poisoning. Meningitis, hepatitis, arthritis, and pancreatitis are also rare and serious foodborne illness complications. If a pregnant person gets food poisoning, it can cause health issues for the fetus.

No, 90% of restaurants do not close in their first year

Although opening a restaurant has long been considered a financial gamble, industry publication Datassential found that less than 1% of restaurants opened in 2025 closed within their first year. A Bureau of Labor Statistics report from 2014 had the number slightly higher—at 17%—though it was still significantly lower than the 90% figure most people cite.

Swimmer's ear is America's most common waterborne illness

Federal government analysis of the roughly 7 million waterborne illness cases that occur annually in the US found that swimmer's ear comprises some 4.7 million, or 65%, of the annual waterborne illnesses and 20% of hospitalizations. Norovirus infection comes in second place.

Restaurants are ramping up chicken dishes in 'The Great Chickening,' an industry-wide move toward chicken and away from beef.

The first major norovirus outbreak, in 1968, sickened half an elementary school.

Only 28% of Americans think restaurant prices are fair

Seven in 10 Americans dine out at least once a month, but only 28% of diners think menu prices are fair, a 2025 YouGov survey found. That changes only slightly by income, with 44% of higher-income Americans finding the prices fair.

Mapping the spread of a dangerous fungus growing in US healthcare facilities

Explore the data showing how the fungus C. auris has spread in the US, with more than 10,000 reported cases since 2016. Recommended steps to prevent infections and limit their spread have been successful in some areas, but infection control remains complicated because the fungus is often now multidrug-resistant.

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the US

In the US, ticks account for 90% of all disease transmission from bites, including mosquitoes. And Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the US overall, with estimates suggesting there are about 475,000 Lyme cases annually across the nation.

The US had about 155.4 million emergency room visits in 2022

Of those emergency incidents, the largest share of patients were between the ages of 25 and 44 and were in the southern part of the US. More than 43 million of the visits involved injuries, including poisonings.

More than 4,000 people died from cholera in 2023

This global health threat sickened more than half a million people in 2023 and killed 4,007 people. That's a 71% increase in deaths as compared to a year earlier. (Report only offered in PDF format.)

Current US measles outbreak data from the CDC

This data portal from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks current cases, hospitalizations, and deaths from measles. A 2025 outbreak in Texas and New Mexico drove US cases to their highest levels since the early 1990s.

Explore these images to better understand why food poisoning makes you feel nauseous.

In the 19th century, ice-cream-related illnesses were somewhat regular in America thanks to vendors' poor hygienic practices.

Up to 225 cases of leprosy in the US are diagnosed each year

Most cases in the US are imported, meaning someone was infected in a country where it was more common. Since symptoms can sometimes take decades to appear, tracing the origin of the disease can be hard.

America's most haunted restaurants

If you're seeking a ghost encounter to go with your meal, consult this list from Infatuation that presents some of the most haunted restaurants and bars in the US. Depending on your mood, make a visit to a casual sports bar, fine dining establishment, or eerie mansion, and potentially witness a spirit. Some might mess with the electricity, some might prank you, and some may simply wander around as you enjoy bites and sips.

COVID accelerated antibiotic resistance

The COVID-19 pandemic was caused by a virus, and viruses can’t be treated with antibiotics. But recent research finds that COVID patients were given a tremendous amount of antibiotics, contributing to the problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Why? This NPR feature sheds light on an unexpected side effect of the pandemic.

Eating street food while traveling isn’t recommended, but there are ways to do it more safely

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urge people to stay away from street food while traveling. But if you still want to eat it, the agency recommends making sure it’s cooked food and that it’s served steaming hot. Also, avoid eating any raw vegetables as they may be more likely to harbor pathogens.

Most Americans are now dying at home, reversing 20th century trends

For most of the 21st and 20th centuries most Americans died in hospital settings. But in 2016, home-based deaths overtook hospitals; most Americans are now dying at home, likely fueled by individual preferences to die at home or to receive at-home palliative care.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in immunizations in the US and worldwide

Public health funds and resources that were diverted to COVID-19 response reduced efforts to combat polio and vaccinations for polio and other diseases declined during the pandemic, putting more people at risk for polio.

Explore this interactive visualization of illnesses known to jump from animals to people, and learn how these zoonotic diseases spread.