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UN: 420,000 People Die Annually From Tainted Food

Children under five are particularly vulnerable to serious illness.

The World Health Organization says some 420,000 people die each year from foodborne diseases, with young children accounting for more than a quarter of all deaths.

The U.N. health agency says it estimates that about 600 million people fall ill annually after consuming tainted food.

It says children under 5 are particularly vulnerable to serious illness, resulting in 125,000 deaths a year.

The agency said Thursday that a comprehensive review of diseases caused by 31 types of bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins or chemicals found the highest burden in Africa and Southeast Asia.

It said consumption of raw or undercooked meat, eggs, fresh produce and dairy products is a particular problem.

Other major foodborne diseases are typhoid fever, hepatitis A, tapeworm and aflatoxin, a mold that grows on poorly stored grain.

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