Foodborne illness outbreaks in China, 2000-2014

The Ministry of Health in China has been releasing statistical bulletins of foodborne illness outbreaks quarterly and annually on its website to keep foodborne illnesses under constant surveillance. In this study, we summarized reports concerning all foodborne illness outbreaks in China announced by the Ministry of Health during 2000-2014. Published reports from 2000 to 2014 were also included to explore the general characteristics and trends of outbreaks of China’s foodborne illnesses. Results showed that the total incidence of foodborne illness outbreak has a downward trend and that outbreaks mainly occurred in April to September, clustered in the Yunnan, Sichuan, Guangdong, Guizhou, and Guangxi provinces. More than half of foodborne illness outbreaks were caused by bacteria, whereas poisonous animals and plants and chemicals accounted for approximately 80% of the reported deaths. The laws and regulations related to food safety in China were also presented.