Two deaths in listeriosis outbreak linked to plant-based milk recall

Third person dies in Listeria outbreak Dr. Isaac Bogoch explains why the number of cases reported are a gross underestimate and are just the tip of the iceberg.

OTTAWA — Two people have died after an outbreak of listeriosis triggered a national recall of certain plant-based milks, the Public Health Agency of Canada said Wednesday.

Silk brand almond milk, coconut milk, almond-coconut milk and oat milk were recalled earlier this month, as was Great Value brand almond milk.

Most of the recalled products have best-before dates up to and including Oct. 4. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased.

The agency did not provide details about the deaths in a public health notice issued Wednesday, but said there have been 12 laboratory-confirmed cases of the illness.

It said 10 cases were in Ontario, while Quebec and Nova Scotia had one each, with nine hospitalizations. People who became sick are between 37 and 89 years old and 67 per cent of the cases were in women.

The agency said people became sick between August 2023 and early July 2024.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said products contaminated with Listeria may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick.

Symptoms of listeriosis can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness.

Pregnant people may only have mild, flu-like symptoms but listeriosis can still lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or stillbirth, the recall notice said.

The president of Danone Canada said the 15 Silk refrigerated beverage products that were recalled have been removed from retail shelves.

"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," Frederic Guichard said in a statement Wednesday.

An outbreak of listeriosis in Canada has been deadly before. In 2008, an outbreak of the disease linked to cold cuts from a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto killed 22 Canadians.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2024.