A Comprehensive Review of Food Borne Illnesses and Food Safety Interventions at the National Level

Abstract

Food safety is fundamental to human health, yet unsafe food continues to cause enormous harm worldwide, with the WHO estimating 600 million cases of foodborne illness and 420,000 deaths annually. India faces a significant burden, with studies suggesting over 100 million cases of foodborne illnesses per year largely due to microbial contamination (E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria) and chemical residues. To address this, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has unified fragmented regulations under one framework, aligning national standards with Codex Alimentarius and international safety protocols. Our review of 70+ scholarly articles and reports highlight the importance of food safety with an overview of the occurrence of food borne illnesses globally and in India and the role of a food handler in the prevention of such outbreaks by improving their knowledge and practices. In India FSSAI plays a key role in monitoring and enforcement, including a 3 fold increase in food testing between 2020-2025 and awareness initiatives such as Eat Right India, which have reached more than 1.85 crore citizens and food safety trainings targeted to reach 25 lakh food handlers. Despite these advances, challenges remain in informal food sectors, which account for over 70% of India’s food market, where enforcement and consumer awareness are limited. Food safety in India is thus undergoing a transformation, but its success depends on coordinated action across the farm-to-fork chain, with producers, handlers, regulators, and consumers all sharing responsibility.