The Public Health Agency of Canada has revealed that it wasn’t until multiple cases of Listeria emerged in Ontario in June that they realized a broader outbreak had actually started back in August 2023.
Many have been questioning why it took nearly a year for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to announce a national recall of several Silk and Great Value plant-based milk products on July 8.
The federal agency stated that they became aware of two genetically related cases of listeriosis in September 2023, but at that time, they were unaware of any common food exposure.
According to PHAC spokesperson Anna Maddison, it was only when several cases were reported in Ontario in June 2024, and a provincial investigation was initiated, that the connection was finally made.
This outbreak has resulted in three deaths in Ontario and has also affected individuals in Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Alberta.
The source of the illness was traced back to a specific production line at a third-party beverage packaging facility in Pickering, Ont., which is utilized by plant-milk manufacturer Danone Canada.
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