A new study estimates the annual cost of foodborne illness in Australia from six important pathogens to be $721 million AUD, with nearly half of this cost ($328 million AUD) attributed to poultry sources.

The new study builds on work from 2019, which estimated the annual cost of foodborne illness in Australia to be $2.44 billion AUD, with $365 million attributable to Campylobacter and $140 million to Salmonella.

The 2025 estimates included Campylobacter, non-typhoidal Salmonella, Yersinia enterocolitica, Listeria monocytogenes, Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and Toxoplasma gondii. Notably, norovirus was excluded, which is slated for priority future work; in 2019, norovirus was estimated to cost $128 million AUD annually.

Campylobacter caused the greatest number of cases (264,000) and had the highest overall cost ($420 million AUD). It was also the leading cause of hospitalization (5,640 hospitalizations due to initial diseases).

Although it only caused 101 cases and hospitalizations, Listeria monocytogenes was the leading cause of death (15).

Foodborne illnesses linked to poultry totaled the highest number of cases, hospitalizations, deaths, and cost. Of the $328 million AUD cost attributed to poultry, $279 million was from Campylobacter, $35.5 million from non-typhoidal Salmonella, and $2.9 million from L. monocytogenes. Of the 191 thousand cases attributed to poultry, $174,000 were attributed to Campylobacter and $13,200 to non-typhoidal Salmonella.

The second highest category associated with cases, hospitalizations, deaths, and costs was vegetables ($107 million AUD), with non-typhoidal Salmonella as the leading pathogen ($41.7 million). Dairy, beef, and pork had the next highest costs, with each category costing over $55 million.

The estimates were based on a cost model supported by structured expert judgement, which enables the identification of food categories associated with foodborne pathogens. The study was led by researchers at the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University, in collaboration with Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).