Tainted food leads to an estimated 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths in the United States each year. Only a tiny fraction of all food-related illnesses are reported to the government.
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$6.9 billion: Annual tax expenditures related to medical costs, hospitalizations and lost work time stemming from foodborne illnesses
$10.8 million: Amount of increased funding for food-safety programs requested by the FDA in its 2008 budget
$1.7 billion: The amount four federal agencies, including the FDA and the Department of Agriculture, spent on food safety activities in 2003
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, FDA, Orange County Health Care Agency, Government Accountability Office