Rice is particularly vulnerable to heavy metal contamination because it is grown in flooded fields and readily absorbs contaminated water.

South-East Asia and Africa, where regulations on heavy metals in farming are far less stringent, are the worst-affected regions. It is thought that roughly 1 billion people are regularly exposed to heavy metals via their food. 

Bacteria also remain a major cause of food-borne illness and death. 

In 2021, around 250,000 people died after consuming food contaminated with harmful bacteria, mostly through diarrhoeal disease. 

Among the most common bacterial pathogens are Campylobacter and E. coli, which are frequently found in undercooked poultry, raw milk, and unwashed fruit and vegetables.

Listeria, which grows mostly in unpasteurised dairy products – products that have boomed in popularity in ‘wellness’ circles in recent years – poses a particular risk to pregnant women and newborns. 

While infections are usually mild in healthy adults, the bacterium can cause miscarriage, stillbirth and severe illness in infants. 

In 2021, Listeria was responsible for 5,280 deaths, the vast majority among newborn babies.

Parasites are another major cause of food-borne deaths, responsible for over 100,000 deaths a year. 

These organisms, which feed, grow, and multiply in the human body and can strip the body of vital nutrients, usually contaminate vegetables that have been fertilised with animal or human faeces. 

They can also be found in pork and beef, particularly when it is undercooked or has been stored at too high a temperature.

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