National Plant-Based Milk Recall Linked to 2 Deaths in Listeriosis Outbreak
Two people have died in connection with a listeriosis outbreak that prompted a recall earlier this month of plant-based milks across Canada.
Ten of the cases were located in Ontario, and one each has been reported in Quebec and Nova Scotia.
A large portion of the products recalled for possible listeria monocytogenes contamination have best-before dates up to and including Oct. 4. Health Canada is urging consumers to discard the recalled products or return them to the place of purchase.
Sixty-seven percent of the cases, which were reported from August 2023 to early July 2024, involved women, the agency said. The age range of those who became ill was between 37 and 89, with 58 percent being 60 or older.
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Danone Canada, which owns Silk, said the 15 recalled Silk refrigerated beverages have been removed from retail shelves.
What is Listeriosis?
Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne bacterial illness that causes listeriosis. Products contaminated with listeria may not look or smell spoiled, but can still make you sick, the health agency said.
The illness often causes nausea, vomiting, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness but can also lead to more serious symptoms such as meningitis and blood poisoning.
While healthy individuals can fall ill from a listeria infection, the disease can become fatal for individuals over age 60, those with weakened immune systems, unborn babies, and newborns, Health Canada said.
“Although people infected while pregnant may only experience mild, flu-like symptoms, listeriosis can spread to their unborn baby, and it can cause a miscarriage, a stillbirth, a premature birth, or life-threatening illness in your baby shortly after birth,” the agency said.
Symptoms of severe listeriosis can appear as many as 70 days after exposure to listeria.
