Fact Check: A 40 kid died in food

Fact Check: "A 40 kid died in food"

What We Know

The claim that "40 kids died in food" appears to refer to recent incidents of food poisoning affecting children. According to reports from the Gauteng Department of Health, two toddlers died after consuming contaminated sweets and chips, which brought the total number of child fatalities related to food poisoning in the area to four. This includes two other children, aged six, who died after consuming biscuits and juice from a local shop (SAnews).

In a broader context, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that foodborne illnesses cause approximately 931 deaths annually in the United States, with children being particularly vulnerable to these illnesses (CDC). Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 125,000 children under five die from foodborne diseases each year (WHO).

Analysis

The claim that "40 kids died in food" is misleading and lacks context. While there have been confirmed deaths of children due to food poisoning in Gauteng, the number is significantly lower than 40. The reported fatalities from recent incidents are four, with two deaths occurring in a specific event involving sweets and chips, and two others from a separate incident involving biscuits and juice (SAnews).

The CDC's data on foodborne illnesses in the U.S. indicates a broader issue, with 931 deaths attributed to foodborne pathogens in 2019 (CDC). However, this figure does not specifically relate to children or suggest that 40 children died from foodborne illnesses in any single year.

The WHO's global estimates indicate that foodborne diseases are a significant cause of mortality among children, but again, the specific claim of "40 kids" is not substantiated by any current data (WHO).

In summary, while foodborne illnesses do pose a serious risk to children, the claim that 40 children have died from food-related incidents is exaggerated and not supported by the available evidence.

Conclusion

Verdict: Partially True
The claim is partially true in the sense that foodborne illnesses do lead to child fatalities, and recent incidents have resulted in the deaths of children. However, the assertion that "40 kids died in food" is inaccurate and misleading, as it overstates the number of deaths reported in recent events.

Sources

1. Estimates: Burden of Foodborne Illness in the United States
2. Two more children die after consuming sweets, chips from ... - SAnews
3. WHO's first ever global estimates of foodborne diseases ...
4. List of foodborne illness outbreaks by death toll - Wikipedia
5. Foodborne Diseases Estimates - World Health Organization (WHO)
6. Food safety
7. Sixteen food poisoning-related deaths reported in Gauteng since Feb ...
8. Food borne diseases cause 50% of child deaths – Njemanze