Objective To study the epidemiological characteristics of foodborne disease outbreaks in China mainland in 2011. Methods The foodborne outbreaks data collected by National Foodborne Disease Outbreaks Surveillance System were analyzed. Results Total 809 foodborne outbreaks were reported from 29 provinces, which caused 14 057 illnesses and 113 deaths. The microbial pathogens caused the largest percentage of outbreaks (26.2%,212/809) and illnesses (37.6%,5 292/14 057). Chemical agents caused the most deaths (39.8%,45/113). Conclusion Microbial foodborne disease remains the first priority of food safety problems in China. Chemical agents are the main cause of death. National foodborne disease network should be strengthened continuously, meanwhile, reporting consciousness should be enhanced