Public Health Notice: Outbreak of Listeria infections linked to recalled plant-based refrigerated beverages

Figure 1 shows when the people in this outbreak got sick. Outbreak investigators use this information to show when illnesses begin, when they peak, and when they trail off. Data are available for 20 cases.

Figure 1 - Text description

Table 1 - Number of people infected with Listeria monocytogenes

Year and month of symptom onset, or earliest available date	Number of cases
July 2023	0
August 2023	1
September 2023	1
October 2023	0
November 2023	0
December 2023	1
January 2024	0
February 2024	0
March 2024	0
April 2024	0
May 2024	0
June 2024	9
July 2024	8
August 2024	0
September 2024	0
October 2024	0

Recalled food

Food recall warnings have been issued for plant-based refrigerated beverages from:

• Silk
• Great Value

For more information on the recalled products, please consult the Canadian Food inspection Agency (CFIA) recall notice on the Government of Canada Recalls and Safety Alerts website.

Food recall warning: Various Silk and Great Value brand plant-based refrigerated beverages recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes

How to protect your health

Listeriosis is a foodborne bacterial illness that can affect anyone exposed to a contaminated food product, including the recalled products.

While healthy individuals can fall ill from a Listeria infection, the disease can be fatal for unborn babies, newborns, individuals over age 60, and those with weakened immune systems.

The following advice applies to individuals across Canada:

• Check to see if you have recalled products in your homes or establishment by looking for the specific product name and size, UPC and codes in the recall alert.
• Do not consume, serve, use, sell or distribute recalled products or any product made with them.
• Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased. Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased the recalled products are advised to contact their retailer.
• Do not cook food for other people if you've been diagnosed with a Listeria infection or any other gastrointestinal illness.
• Contact your health care provider if you think you're experiencing symptoms of Listeria infection.

Those who are most at risk of becoming sick with severe listeriosis include:

• People with weakened immune systems (unable to fight diseases easily).
• Adults over the age of 60. The risk increases with age due to a weakening immune system.
• People who are pregnant, including their unborn or newborn baby.

Investigation summary

There are 12 laboratory-confirmed cases of Listeria monocytogenes illness linked to this outbreak in:

• Ontario (10)
• Quebec (1)
• Nova Scotia (1)

People became sick between August 2023 and early July 2024. Of the cases reported to us, nine people have been hospitalized and two individuals have died. Many people who became sick reported drinking recalled plant-based beverages before their illnesses occurred.

People who became sick are between 37 and 89 years old. Most of them are:

• adults 60 years of age or older (58%)
• over half of the cases (67%) are female

More recent illnesses may continue to be reported in the outbreak because there is a period between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported to public health officials. For this outbreak, the illness reporting period is between 9 and 35 days.

This outbreak may not be limited to the provinces or territories with known illnesses because the recalled plant-based beverages were distributed to nationally.

Timeline of illnesses

Figure 1 shows when the people in this outbreak got sick. Outbreak investigators use this information to show when illnesses begin, when they peak, and when they trail off. Data is available for 12 cases.

Figure 1 - Text description

Table 1 - Number of people infected with Listeria monocytogenes

Year and month of symptom onset, or earliest available date	Number of cases
July 2023	0
August 2023	1
September 2023	1
October 2023	0
November 2023	0
December 2023	1
January 2024	0
February 2024	0
March 2024	0
April 2024	0
May 2024	0
June 2024	8
July 2024	1

Recalled food

Food recall warnings have been issued for plant-based refrigerated beverages from:

• Silk
• Great Value

For more information on the recalled products, please consult the Canadian Food inspection Agency (CFIA) recall notice on the Government of Canada Recalls and Safety Alerts website.

Food recall warning: Various Silk and Great Value brand plant-based refrigerated beverages recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes

How to protect your health

Listeriosis is a foodborne bacterial illness that can affect anyone exposed to a contaminated food product, including the recalled products.

While healthy individuals can fall ill from a Listeria infection, the disease can be fatal for unborn babies, newborns, individuals over age 60, and those with weakened immune systems.

The following advice applies to individuals across Canada:

• Check to see if you have recalled products in your homes or establishment by looking for the specific product name and size, UPC and codes in the recall alert.
• Do not consume, serve, use, sell or distribute recalled products or any product made with them.
• Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased. Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased the recalled products are advised to contact their retailer.
• Do not cook food for other people if you've been diagnosed with a Listeria infection or any other gastrointestinal illness.
• Contact your health care provider if you think you're experiencing symptoms of Listeria infection.

Those who are most at risk of becoming sick with severe listeriosis include:

• People with weakened immune systems (unable to fight diseases easily).
• Adults over the age of 60. The risk increases with age due to a weakening immune system.
• People who are pregnant, including their unborn or newborn baby.

What are the complication risks?

If you have severe listeriosis, you can develop meningitis (a brain infection) and/or blood poisoning. Severe listeriosis can be fatal.

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
  • this is when your baby dies in the womb before the 20th week of pregnancy
• a stillbirth
  • this is when your baby dies in the womb after 20 weeks of pregnancy (before delivery)
• a premature birth
• life-threatening illness in your baby shortly after birth

Symptoms

Symptoms of listeriosis can start as early as 3 days after eating contaminated food. You may have the following symptoms:

• fever
• nausea
• cramps
• diarrhea
• vomiting
• headache
• constipation
• muscle aches

In severe cases, the bacteria can spread to the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord and nerves). Symptoms of severe listeriosis include:

• stiff neck
• confusion
• headache
• loss of balance

Symptoms of severe listeriosis may appear up to 70 days after you have been exposed to Listeria.

• Listeriosis (Listeria)
• Food safety for vulnerable populations

Investigation summary

There are 18 laboratory-confirmed cases of  Listeria monocytogenes illness linked to this outbreak in:

• Alberta (1)
• Ontario (12)
• Quebec (4)
• Nova Scotia (1)

People became sick between August 2023 and early July 2024. Of the cases reported to us, thirteen people have been hospitalized and two individuals have died. Many people who became sick reported drinking recalled plant-based beverages before their illnesses occurred.

People who became sick are between 7 and 89 years old. Most of them are:

• adults 50 years of age or older (67%)
• female (72%)

More recent illnesses may continue to be reported in the outbreak because there is a period between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported to public health officials. For this outbreak, the illness reporting period is between 9 and 29 days.

This outbreak may not be limited to the provinces or territories with known illnesses because the recalled plant-based beverages were distributed to nationally.

Timeline of illnesses

Figure 1 shows when the people in this outbreak got sick. Outbreak investigators use this information to show when illnesses begin, when they peak, and when they trail off. Data is available for 18 cases.

Timeline of illnesses

Figure 1 shows when the people in this outbreak got sick. Outbreak investigators use this information to show when illnesses begin, when they peak, and when they trail off. Data is available for 12 cases.

Figure 1 - Text description

Table 1 - Number of people infected with Listeria monocytogenes

Year and month of symptom onset, or earliest available date	Number of cases
July 2023	0
August 2023	1
September 2023	1
October 2023	0
November 2023	0
December 2023	1
January 2024	0
February 2024	0
March 2024	0
April 2024	0
May 2024	0
June 2024	9
July 2024	6

Recalled food

Food recall warnings were issued for plant-based refrigerated beverages from:

• Silk
• Great Value

For more information on the recalled products, please consult the Canadian Food inspection Agency (CFIA) recall notice on the Government of Canada Recalls and Safety Alerts website.

Food recall warning: Various Silk and Great Value brand plant-based refrigerated beverages recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes

How to protect your health

Listeriosis is a foodborne bacterial illness that can affect anyone exposed to a contaminated food product, including the recalled products.

While healthy individuals can fall ill from a Listeria infection, the disease can be fatal for unborn babies, newborns, individuals over age 60, and those with weakened immune systems.

The following advice applies to individuals across Canada:

• Check to see if you have recalled products in your homes or establishment by looking for the specific product name and size, UPC and codes in the recall alert.
• Do not consume, serve, use, sell or distribute recalled products or any product made with them.
• Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased. Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased the recalled products are advised to contact their retailer.
• Do not cook food for other people if you've been diagnosed with a Listeria infection or any other gastrointestinal illness.
• Contact your health care provider if you think you're experiencing symptoms of Listeria infection.

Those who are most at risk of becoming sick with severe listeriosis include:

• People with weakened immune systems (unable to fight diseases easily).
• Adults over the age of 60. The risk increases with age due to a weakening immune system.
• People who are pregnant, including their unborn or newborn baby.

What are the complication risks?

If you have severe listeriosis, you can develop meningitis (a brain infection) and/or blood poisoning. Severe listeriosis can be fatal.
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
  • this is when your baby dies in the womb before the 20th week of pregnancy
• a stillbirth
  • this is when your baby dies in the womb after 20 weeks of pregnancy (before delivery)
• a premature birth
• life-threatening illness in your baby shortly after birth

Symptoms

Symptoms of listeriosis can start as early as 3 days after eating contaminated food. You may have the following symptoms:

• fever
• nausea
• cramps
• diarrhea
• vomiting
• headache
• constipation
• muscle aches

In severe cases, the bacteria can spread to the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord and nerves). Symptoms of severe listeriosis include:

• stiff neck
• confusion
• headache
• loss of balance

Symptoms of severe listeriosis may appear up to 70 days after you have been exposed to Listeria.

• Listeriosis (Listeria)
• Food safety for vulnerable populations

Investigation summary

There were 20 laboratory-confirmed cases of Listeria monocytogenes illness linked to this outbreak in:

• Alberta (1)
• Ontario (13)
• Quebec (5)
• Nova Scotia (1)

People became sick between August 2023 and mid-July 2024. Of the cases reported to us, fifteen people werehave been hospitalized and three individuals have died. Many people who became sick reported drinking recalled plant-based beverages before their illnesses occurred.
People who became sick were between 7 and 89 years old. Most of them are:

• adults 50 years of age or older (70%)
• female (65%)

It is still possible that more recent illnesses may be reported in the outbreak because there is a period between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported to public health officials. For this outbreak, the illness reporting period was between 9 and 29 days.

This outbreak may not be limited to the provinces or territories with known illnesses because the recalled plant-based beverages were distributed nationally.

Timeline of illnesses

Figure 1 shows when the people in this outbreak got sick. Outbreak investigators use this information to show when illnesses begin, when they peak, and when they trail off. Data are available for 20 cases.

Figure 1 - Text description

Table 1 - Number of people infected with Listeria monocytogenes

Year and month of symptom onset, or earliest available date	Number of cases
July 2023	0
August 2023	1
September 2023	1
October 2023	0
November 2023	0
December 2023	1
January 2024	0
February 2024	0
March 2024	0
April 2024	0
May 2024	0
June 2024	9
July 2024	8
August 2024	0