Settlement reached in national class action with alternative milk company over listeria recall

Silk plant-based milk products. (Dan Lauckner / CTV News Kitchener)

A multi-million-dollar settlement has been reached to compensate Canadians who were harmed in a deadly listeria outbreak linked to certain plant-based beverages.

Montreal-based LPC Avocats announced Friday that they had reached a $6.5-million settlement with Danone Canada, the company behind milk alternative Silk, and Wal-Mart Canada, which sells in-house brand Great Value Product, over a July 8, 2024 listeria-related product recall.

The settlement is meant for anyone who bought or ingested Silk Canada Products or Great Value Products that were subject to the July recall, which was initiated by Danone Canada. According to a release on the settlement, this includes “successors, assigns, family members, and dependants.”

Those who meet certain criteria, based on the impact of their illness from the recalled product, will be entitled to part of the settlement. Compensation ranges from $400 to $300,000 per claimant, depending on the seriousness of the symptoms.

“(The settlement) will be used to provide monetary compensation in a diligent and efficient manner,” Joey Zukran, the founder of LPC Avocats, told CTV News. “In some cases, people have to wait many years before getting justice, and in this case, the settlement was reached relatively swiftly.”

Zukran added a retired justice helped mediate the agreement. He described the settlement at “fair and significant”.

A hearing on whether the settlement is approved is set to take place on Jan. 26, 2026, in Montreal. If approved, those impacted will be able to submit their claims. A website is available to provide information for those looking to learn more about the settlement.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, the listeria outbreak resulted in three deaths and 15 hospitalizations across Canada in 2024. In total there were 20 reported cases across the country - 13 in Ontario, five in Quebec, one in Alberta and one in Nova Scotia.