Ottawa – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) released the following statement on the ongoing food safety investigation related to the recall of various Silk and Great Value brand plant-based refrigerated beverages due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination:
“Our highest priority is always food safety and the health of Canadians. We take food safety investigations seriously and employ every measure to remove risks to consumers as soon as possible. It is vital that Canadians have the information they need to have confidence in Canada’s food safety system.
That is why with the full cooperation of Danone Canada and its third-party manufacturer, Joriki Inc. (Pickering Ontario), alongside Public Health Ontario, the CFIA worked quickly to recall the implicated Silk and Great Value brand products on July 8, 2024. Danone Canada and Joriki Inc. (Pickering), immediately halted production and distribution of all implicated products. Since that time, the CFIA has worked to verify all affected products have been removed from the marketplace and continues to advise Canadians to return or dispose of any recalled products they may have, and to learn the symptoms of listeriosis.
All affected products were made on a dedicated production line, which has been completely disassembled while inspection at the facility is ongoing. No production on this dedicated production line will restart until the necessary corrective measures are implemented and the CFIA is satisfied that any contamination has been identified and eliminated. Danone Canada and Joriki Inc. (Pickering) have been fully engaged in the ongoing food safety investigation to determine the source of the contamination and are implementing corrective measures including enhanced safety and production protocols.
The CFIA will continue to monitor and assess this work to ensure the safety of Canadians. We encourage Canadians to refer to Government of Canada’s Recalls and Safety Alerts website for information on the food recall as well as the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Public Health Notice.”