Two people have died from listeria infections after consuming popular dairy alternatives made by the brands Silk and Great Value.
The patients were in Canada, where ten other people became ill during the outbreak, nine of whom were hospitalized. Most of the cases were in Ontario.
They had consumed Silk’s oat, almond, cashew or coconut milk alternatives, which are popular among health gurus and fitness fanatics.
Danone, the French company that owns Silk, has said the contaminated milk alternative was made by a third-party factory that is now under investigation. None of the contaminated products were sold outside Canada, they added.
Pictured above are cartons of Silk milk. Many of these have been recalled after listeria contamination was revealed.
Following the outbreak, Health Canada issued a recall of 18 batches of milk alternatives over concerns of listeria contamination, nearly all of which were manufactured by Silk.
It was not clear how the milk alternatives became contaminated, but in previous cases this has been linked to contaminated milk. water dripping onto the production line or processing equipment.
Employees can also spread the bacteria to products if they bring it in on their clothing, or they can bring it in if nuts used to make the milk were sprayed with contaminated water.
Dairy products are vulnerable to listeria contamination, which is often linked to contamination of machinery, possibly through livestock feces.
Of those who have fallen ill, ten are in Ontario and two others are in Quebec and Nova Scotia.
Nearly 60 percent of those infected are aged 60 or older and became ill between August 2023 and early July 2024.
Public health officials say more illnesses could still be detected because of the time it takes for the bacteria to cause symptoms.
The above shows the dates on which listeria infections linked to contaminated milk alternatives were revealed.
Frederic Guichard, President of Danone Canada, said: ‘The news of this announcement is devastating and our deepest condolences go out to the families and loved ones during this difficult time.
“We are working with the utmost seriousness and in close collaboration with the authorities to thoroughly investigate and shed light on the circumstances surrounding this event.”
Silk milk is considered the most popular plant-based milk brand in the U.S. by data firm Statista, with the highest share of Americans (82 percent) saying they have heard of it.
The U.S. market for milk alternatives is booming, and will be worth more than $27.5 billion by 2022, up from previous years.
Listeria does not cause odor or color changes in contaminated milk alternatives, which can lead to people unwittingly consuming them.
Warning signs of an infection include nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and constipation, which usually appear within hours to three days after infection.
More than 90 percent of patients are hospitalized, the FDA says.
In severe cases, the bacteria can spread to the nervous system and cause meningitis (inflammation of the fluid surrounding the brain) and sepsis. Both can be fatal.
People with weakened immune systems and those over 60 are at particularly high risk of contracting the infection, officials say.
Pregnant women are also at increased risk of miscarriage if they contract listeria because the bacteria can be passed on to the fetus.
An estimated 1,600 people are infected with listeria in the United States each year, while about 260 people die.