correction
A previous version of this article contained an image of Silk nondairy beverages that were not included in the recall. The photograph has been replaced.
Two people have died of listeria infections after drinking nondairy milk products in Canada, and at least 10 more got sick, according to the Canadian health department.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Health Canada urged people not to consume, sell, serve or distribute more than a dozen plant-based products by the brands Silk and Great Value. Those recorded to be infected range from ages 37 to 89; 58 percent of them are 60 or above, Health Canada said, and about two-thirds of them are female. Of the 12 people infected, nine were hospitalized.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said last week that it recalled a total of 18 beverages that were distributed nationally from Silk, a company owned by the French company Danone, and Great Value, citing “possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.” The list of recalled products includes almond, coconut and oat drinks.
The CFIA said its ongoing investigation could lead to the recall of other products. The agency said it was also working to verify that recalled products were actually being removed from shops. Food contaminated with listeria “may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick,” the CFIA warned.
Listeria is short for Listeria monocytogenes, the name of the bacteria that can cause listeriosis, an infection that makes people ill and can be fatal. Those affected can develop flu-like symptoms, headache and a fever, among other symptoms.
Silk said in a statement online that the products linked to the listeria infections were produced in a third-party manufacturing facility, and that it was investigating how it happened. It said it recalled all the products named by the CFIA, as well as all other Silk refrigerated beverage products made in the facility, citing “potential cases of Listeria monocytogenes linked to specific refrigerated Silk beverage products.”
All of the products named by the CFIA are produced and distributed in Canada only, Danone said in an email to The Washington Post on Thursday.
Frédéric Guichard, president of Danone Canada, said in a statement Wednesday that Canada’s public health notice was “devastating” and expressed “our most sincere sympathies” for those affected. “We are working with the utmost seriousness and in close partnership with the authorities to thoroughly investigate and shed light on the circumstances surrounding this event,” he said, adding that the company will proe updates as more information becomes available.
The people affected after drinking the nondairy milks in Canada fell sick between August 2023 and early July 2024, Health Canada said, adding that “many people who became sick reported drinking recalled plant-based beverages before their illnesses occurred.” 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 get sick from listeria each year, and about 260 of them die, the CDC notes.
Usually, it takes around two weeks for symptoms of a severe case to develop after eating contaminated food, according to the CDC, though the agency notes that symptoms could present anywhere between the same day and 10 weeks after ingesting the bacteria. Newborns, those over the age of 60 and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk of dying of the illness, Health Canada noted. A listeria infection can cause miscarriage or stillbirth, the CDC said.
Ben Brasch contributed to this report.
