Two people in Canada died from listeria infections after consuming plant-based milk alternatives, local health authorities said Wednesday.
A further 10 people became ill—nine of whom were hospitalized—after they drank the milk substitutes made from almonds, oats, coconuts, and cashews, the Canadian government said in a public health notice. The deaths and infections were linked to a national recall of products sold by the Silk and Great Value brands, with the beverages pulled from shelves last week.
Dairy-substitute brand Silk, which is owned by French multinational Danone, says on its site that its contaminated drinks were produced in a “third-party manufacturing facility,” adding that its operations wouldn’t resume at the site while an investigation is underway. The plant in question is in Ontario and its affected products weren’t shipped outside Canada, a Danone spokeswoman told The New York Times.
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Health Canada said 10 cases of illness were recorded in Ontario, while one was seen in Quebec and another in Nova Scotia. It comes after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) last week recalled 18 products—all of which are “plant based refrigerated beverages”—due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
The majority of those who became sick were women over the age of 60. Health Canada said they became sick between August 2023 and July 2024 and that more recent illnesses may yet be reported. “Many people who became sick reported drinking recalled plant-based beverages before their illnesses occurred,” the health notice read.
It also said those who are at most at risk of becoming sick with severe listeriosis are people with weakened immune systems, adults over the age of 60, and pregnant people—unborn and newborn babies are also at heightened risk.
Symptoms including fever, vomiting, and diarrhea can begin with three days of consuming contaminated food, according to Health Canada, while more severe symptoms may appear 70 days after a patient is exposed to the bacteria. Severe cases occur when the bacteria spreads into the nervous system, which can in turn cause potentially fatal meningitis and blood poisoning to develop.
The government department said contaminated products might not look or smell spoiled and advised Canadians to check if any products in their home were listed in the recall.
