In mid-August earlier this year, listeria bacterium was found at Joriki Inc., a plant-based milk production facility in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The brands affected by the Listeria contamination were Silk and Walmart’s Great Value and the recalls included different varieties of almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, and oat milk. With these two brands being two of the most significant producers of plant-based milk in North America, there was serious concern due to the widespread consumption of these products. The outbreak was quite serious, causing 20 known cases of listeriosis across the Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Alberta provinces, including three deaths and at least 13 hospitalizations.
In 2022, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) found plant-based milk products to be generally safe from listeria due to their pasteurization which listeria cannot survive. This led to the CFIA not doing a proper license inspection at the Joriki Inc. facility. The outbreak, however, proved that what is considered to be “safe” is constantly evolving. Any lapses in hygiene and production practices should never occur, as they can lead to fatal consequences.
Over the course of the investigation, the CFIA made six routine visits to the facility. During these visits the CFIA found that the Joriki Inc. facility did not employ proper swabbing and finished product testing. Since July when the issue was first discovered, no Silk products have been shipped for the Joriki Inc. facility.
Following correct protocol at plants and facilities is vital in ensuring the consumer’s safety. Proper protocol for a plant-based facility includes but is not limited to: maintaining the correct temperature and humidity levels, disinfecting equipment, sanitizing walls and floors, and consistently swab testing surfaces to detect bacteria or pathogens.
This tragic outbreak truly illuminates the importance of following protocol, but also begs the question of whether agencies like the CFIA and the CDC should adjust their inspection criteria and frequency. If the CFIA had done a license inspection, perhaps they would have been able to discover the problem before it became fatal. In light of recent food poisoning outbreaks in the United States, proper inspection of food production facilities is more crucial than ever to protect public health and uphold trust in the food industry.
