In order to clarify the nature and extent of foodborne infectious diseases in France and to guide priorities regarding measures for the prevention and control of these diseases, a study of morbidity and mortality associated with foodborne infectious agents in metropolitan France was conducted for the 1990s. The number of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths was estimated for 23 pathogens (13 bacteria, 2 viruses, 8 parasites) based on various available data sources. For each pathogen studied, several point estimates were obtained using a method tailored to the nature of the data from each source and the specific pathogen. The estimates considered most plausible—based on an understanding of how the various data sources function and their content, comparison with foreign data, and expert opinion—were selected and presented as a “plausible range” with lower and upper bounds. The infectious agents studied are estimated to cause 238,836 to 269,085 cases of foodborne infections, of which 51,269 to 81,927 are due to bacteria, primarily Salmonella and Campylobacter, 70,600 to viruses, mainly noroviruses, and 116,517 to 116,558 to parasites, notably Toxoplasma gondii and Taenia saginata. The total annual number of hospitalized cases was estimated to be between 10,188 and 17,771. Salmonellosis is the leading cause (5,691 to 10,202 cases), followed by Campylobacter infections (2,598 to 3,516 cases) and listeriosis (304 cases). Toxoplasmosis appears to be the main cause of hospitalization (426 cases) among the parasitic infections studied. The estimated total annual number of deaths ranges from 228 to 691. Bacterial infections account for the majority (84% to 94%) of these deaths, with an estimated 191 to 652 annual deaths, of which 92 to 535 are attributable to salmonellosis, the leading cause of death, and 78 to listeriosis, the second leading cause of death. Estimates based on data not collected for this specific purpose carry a margin of uncertainty of varying degrees. However, it was possible to propose plausible estimates for most of the infections studied and to prioritize their public health significance. This study also identified knowledge gaps for certain infections for which available information was insufficient, such as Campylobacter, Yersinia, and norovirus infections, and proposed recommendations to improve understanding of these infections.