Milk substitutes from Silk and Great Value linked to listeria in Canada; 2 dead

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced last week that it had recalled a total of 18 drinks distributed nationwide by Silk, a company owned by the French group Danone, and Great Value, citing “possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.” The list of recalled products includes almond, coconut and oat drinks.

The CFIA said its ongoing investigation could lead to the recall of more products. The agency said it is also working to verify that the recalled products have actually been removed from stores. Food contaminated with listeria “may not look or smell spoiled, but it can still make you sick,” the CFIA warned.

Listeria is the abbreviation for Listeria monocytogenesthe name of the bacteria that can cause listeriosis, an infection that can be sick and fatal. Sufferers can develop flu-like symptoms, headaches, and fever, among other symptoms.

Silk said in an online statement that the products linked to the listeria infections were manufactured at a third-party manufacturing facility and that it is investigating how this happened. The company is recalling all products identified by the CFIA, as well as all other Silk chilled beverage products manufactured at the factory, citing “potential cases of Listeria monocytogenes associated with certain Silk chilled beverage products.”

All products named by the CFIA are manufactured and distributed exclusively in Canada, Danone said in an email to the Washington Post on Thursday.

Frédéric Guichard, president of Danone Canada, said in a statement on Wednesday that the Canadian health ministry’s warning was “devastating” and expressed “our deepest condolences” to those affected. “We are working with the utmost seriousness and in close partnership with the authorities to thoroughly investigate and clarify the circumstances of this event,” he said, adding that the company would provide updates as more information became available.

The affected people who drank the non-dairy milk products in Canada became ill between August 2023 and early July 2024, Health Canada said, adding: “Many of those who became ill reported drinking the recalled plant-based beverages before becoming ill.” Ten of the 12 illnesses were reported in Ontario, while one case was reported in Quebec and another in Nova Scotia.

In the United States, listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness or food poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An estimated 1,600 people become ill with listeria each year, and about 260 of them die, the CDC notes.

It usually takes about two weeks for symptoms of a severe case to develop after eating contaminated food, according to the CDC, although the agency notes that symptoms can appear between the same day and 10 weeks after ingesting the bacteria. Newborns, people over 60 and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk of dying from the disease, Health Canada noted. Listeria infection can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth, the CDC said.

Ben Brasch contributed to this report.