List of foodborne illness outbreaks by death toll

This is a list of foodborne illness outbreaks by death toll, caused by infectious disease, heavy metals, chemical contamination, or from natural toxins, such as those found in poisonous mushrooms. Before modern microbiology, foodborne illness was not understood, and, from the mid 1800s to early-mid 1900s, was perceived as ptomaine poisoning, caused by a fundamental flaw in understanding how it worked.

Source: Wikipedia — List of foodborne illness outbreaks by death toll (CC BY-SA 4.0)