CFIA releases statement after food mfg. investigation

OTTAWA — The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued the following statement related to the recent recall of Silk and Great Value plant-based refrigerated beverages due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination:

“The CFIA is deeply saddened by the recent listeriosis outbreak associated with certain Silk and Great Value plant-based beverages. It extends heartfelt sympathies to the families of the three Canadians who tragically lost their lives and all those who have been affected by the outbreak.”

“With the conclusion of CFIA’s food safety investigation related to contaminated products from Danone Canada’s third-party manufacturing plant Joriki Inc. in Pickering, we are sharing the details of the findings.”

On June 20, 2024, the investigation began when Public Health Ontario informed the CFIA of an outbreak of listeriosis illness and an initial detection of Listeria monocytogenes, in a sample of Silk unsweetened coconut milk. Over the following days, CFIA worked with public health partners to confirm the link between the product and the illnesses and deaths.

As soon as the link was confirmed, on July 8, 2024, a recall warning was issued for several Silk and Great Value plant-based refrigerated beverages due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination, and the affected manufacturing lines were immediately shut down.

As part of the recall being issued, the CFIA reportedly visited the Joriki plant in Pickering on 6 occasions, while verifying the affected products were removed from the market. The CFIA says they are continuing to monitor the recall’s effectiveness.

Since then, Danone Canada and Joriki Inc. and the CFIA conducted product and environmental tests. The presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the facility was confirmed on July 9, 2024.

The investigation was not able to confirm the primary source of the contamination within the establishment, which is not uncommon with investigations regarding pasteurized products like plant-based beverages – listeria cannot survive pasteurization – however, cross-contamination could have reportedly occurred after processing.

Joriki is required to follow federal laws to ensure the safety of the products they sell. Health Canada’s Policy on Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods also outlines how plants like Joriki should have strict controls in place to prevent listeria contamination.

During the course of its investigation, the CFIA discovered that the facility did not properly implement environmental swabbing and finished product testing in adherence to Health Canada’s Policy on Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods.

As a result of the food safety investigation, production at Joriki Inc. in Pickering has been fully halted, and significant cleanup and renovations are underway. Manufacturing will not resume until all necessary safety measures are in place, and until we are confident that the risk of contamination has been eliminated.

The CFIA says that their inspectors are closely monitoring the situation, continuing to conduct regular visits to ensure that corrective actions are completed before production can restart.

The CFIA says they will continue to monitor the Pickering facility’s progress and will update the public on any further actions taken.