Modern alimentary-dependent diseases represent a major global public health challenge, driven by rapid lifestyle changes, industrial food production, urbanization, and dietary transitions. These diseases include obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disorders, metabolic syndrome, gastrointestinal diseases, micronutrient deficiencies, and certain cancers. Poor dietary patterns, excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods, high sodium intake, low fiber consumption, and inadequate intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains significantly contribute to disease development. Additionally, hygienic factors such as food contamination, improper food handling, chemical residues, and microbial exposure intensify health risks. Hygienic assessment of dietary risk factors is essential for evaluating exposure pathways, estimating health impacts, and developing preventive strategies. This article systematically analyzes the etiology, classification, and epidemiology of alimentary-dependent diseases and presents a hygienic framework for risk assessment. Preventive strategies, public health interventions, and evidence-based recommendations are also discussed.

Alimentary-dependent diseases, nutrition-related disorders, hygienic risk assessment, food safety

Afshin A, Sur PJ, Fay KA, et al. Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet. 2019;393(10184):1958–1972. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30041-8

GBD 2019 Risk Factors Collaborators. Global burden of 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: A systematic analysis. Lancet. 2020;396(10258):1223–1249. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30752-2

World Health Organization (WHO). Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases. WHO Technical Report Series No. 916. Geneva: WHO; 2003.

World Health Organization (WHO). Guideline: Sodium intake for adults and children. Geneva: WHO; 2012.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Ultra-processed foods, diet quality, and health. Rome: FAO; 2019.

Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Levy RB, et al. Ultra-processed foods: What they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutr. 2019;22(5):936–941. doi:10.1017/S1368980018003762

Srour B, Fezeu LK, Kesse-Guyot E, et al. Ultra-processed food intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: Prospective cohort study. BMJ. 2019;365:l1451. doi:10.1136/bmj.l1451

Hall KD, Ayuketah A, Brychta R, et al. Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain: An inpatient randomized controlled trial. Cell Metab. 2019;30(1):67–77. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008

Mozaffarian D, Rosenberg I, Uauy R. History of modern nutrition science—implications for current research. BMJ. 2018;361:k2392. doi:10.1136/bmj.k2392

Micha R, Shulkin ML, Peñalvo JL, et al. Etiologic effects and optimal intakes of foods and nutrients for risk of cardiovascular diseases. BMJ. 2017;357:j1900. doi:10.1136/bmj.j1900

Wang Y, Beydoun MA. The obesity epidemic in the United States—gender, age, socioeconomic, racial/ethnic, and geographic characteristics. Epidemiol Rev. 2007;29:6–28. doi:10.1093/epirev/mxm007

Hu FB. Globalization of diabetes: The role of diet, lifestyle, and genes. Diabetes Care. 2011;34(6):1249–1257. doi:10.2337/dc11-0442

Ludwig DS, Willett WC, Volek JS, Neuhouser ML. Dietary fat: From foe to friend? Science. 2018;362(6416):764–770. doi:10.1126/science.aau2096

Tilman D, Clark M. Global diets link environmental sustainability and human health. Nature. 2014;515:518–522. doi:10.1038/nature13959

Popkin BM, Corvalan C, Grummer-Strawn LM. Dynamics of the double burden of malnutrition and the changing nutrition reality. Lancet. 2020;395(10217):65–74. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32497-6

FAO/WHO. Principles and methods for the risk assessment of chemicals in food. Environmental Health Criteria 240. Geneva: WHO; 2009.

Codex Alimentarius Commission. Procedural manual. 27th ed. Rome: FAO/WHO; 2019.

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Guidance on uncertainty analysis in scientific assessments. EFSA J. 2018;16(1):5123. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5123

Pekmezci H, Sipahi S, Başaran B. Health risk assessment of dietary chemical exposures. Foods. 2025;14(23):4133. doi:10.3390/foods14234133

Domingo JL, Nadal M. Human exposure to environmental pollutants through the diet: A review. Food Chem Toxicol. 2017;104:70–84. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2016.07.009

JECFA. Evaluation of certain food additives and contaminants. WHO Press; 2017.

van der Fels-Klerx HJ, Adamse P, et al. Mycotoxins in food: Occurrence, toxicology, and risk assessment. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2020;19(2):671–700. doi:10.1111/1541-4337.12518

Oplatowska-Stachowiak M, Elliott CT. Food contaminants: Detection methods. TrAC Trends Anal Chem. 2017;86:219–235. doi:10.1016/j.trac.2016.10.014

Smith K, Reaser JK, et al. Pathogen pollution: Emerging disease risks. Lancet. 2014;384(9950):1553–1564. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60717-3