The Make Our Food Safe coalition’s latest study provides a state-by-state breakdown of the cost of foodborne illness, both in absolute and per-capita terms. The report estimates that foodborne illnesses cost about $152 billion each year in America, with the cost being spread fairly evenly across the country.
Hawaii ($553) and Mississippi ($543) suffer the highest cost per capita, while Nevada ($450) and Utah ($448) bear the lightest per-capita load.
The report is the work of former FDA economist Robert L. Scharff, now a professor at Ohio State (bio). You can read the entire 27-page report in PDF form, scan the one-page summary or play with the accompanying interactive map and draw your own conclusions. You can also listen to an MP3 of the related media telebriefing.
