One of the deadliest foods in the world is eaten by half a billion people, and its widespread popularity may account for it having a deadly reputation if not prepared right.

When we say it’s the ‘world’s deadliest food’ we really do mean food, as there are many other deadlier things you could be eating which would not form part of your diet.

Not many things that turn up on our dinner plates can kill us, but you’d be surprised how many people eat what is considered to be one of the ‘world’s deadliest foods’ (Getty Stock Image)

There are many things in this world you can eat which would kill you very quickly, but those tend not to be regular fixtures on the dinner plate.

Not many things that turn up on our dinner plates can kill us, but you’d be surprised how many people eat what is considered to be one of the ‘world’s deadliest foods
Not many things that turn up on our dinner plates can kill us, but you’d be surprised how many people eat what is considered to be one of the ‘world’s deadliest foods’

However, something called cassava is a staple food which 500 million people eat and hundreds of millions of tonnes of it are produced for eating every year.

It’s a plant that flourishes in tropical climates which is native to South America, though the world’s top producer these days is Nigeria.