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A recent investigation into a beverage production facility in Pickering, Ontario—a site linked to a devastating listeria outbreak—has revealed serious health and safety violations that regulatory agencies failed to act upon in a timely manner. Documents obtained by The Canadian Press through a Freedom of Information request expose a troubling array of infractions that experts argue may have created an environment conducive to listeria contamination. The outbreak, which was traced back to plant-based milk products packaged at the Joriki facility, resulted in 20 reported illnesses, 15 hospitalisations, and three tragic deaths.
Inspection Findings Raise Serious Concerns
The inspection report from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) covered a period from June 26 to August 22, 2024, during which inspectors noted significant issues, including condensation on ceilings and peeling paint in pasteurisation areas. Joriki, a third-party facility responsible for packaging soy, almond, and coconut milk under the Silk and Great Value brands, was immediately shut down after the recall issued on July 8, 2024, and has yet to resume operations.
Food safety experts have expressed alarm at the findings, describing them as “huge red flags” that should have prompted earlier action from health authorities. Lawrence Goodridge, a professor of food safety at the University of Guelph, stated, “The CFIA should have been inspecting this plant at a much higher frequency. This could have been prevented.”
CFIA’s Response and Industry Accountability
In light of the criticism surrounding their oversight, the CFIA emphasised that it is the responsibility of food businesses to maintain safety standards while the agency focuses on risk-based inspections. Despite having classified Joriki as a low-risk facility in 2021, the CFIA later acknowledged the need to adapt its risk assessment model to better account for emerging food safety concerns.
“The 2024 listeria outbreak underscored the importance of strong oversight in emerging product categories such as plant-based beverages, and the CFIA is taking decisive steps to modernise and strengthen its systems,” the agency stated.
Danone Canada, the company behind Silk products, has refrained from commenting on the situation due to ongoing legal proceedings related to a $6.5 million class-action lawsuit settled in November with consumers who purchased the affected products.
Systemic Failures in Food Safety Protocols
Experts have pointed out that listeria is a common bacterium that thrives in food processing environments, necessitating rigorous sanitation protocols. Lori Burrows, a microbiologist at McMaster University, noted that the peeling paint and condensation identified in the inspection report present significant challenges to effective disinfection. “It’s like the difference between wiping your counter and wiping your lawn,” she explained.
Furthermore, the accumulation of garbage and empty cartons in the loading bay could attract pests, compounding the risks associated with food safety. Goodridge remarked, “What this shows me is systemic failures in the plant with respect to food safety—a gross lack of food safety procedures. The plant in which the beverage was being made may have been a haven for listeria.”
A Call for Comprehensive Reform
The CFIA’s findings have raised questions about the adequacy of current food safety practices at Joriki and the broader implications for the industry. Professor Claudia Narvaez-Bravo from the University of Manitoba highlighted that the failure to identify listeria as a hazard in the facility’s safety protocols is particularly alarming. “When you’re dealing with ready-to-eat products, listeria monocytogenes is always a concern. The absence of a robust sanitation programme is a recipe for disaster,” she said.
The inspection revealed that the finished products were not tested for listeria, a fundamental lapse in safety measures. Narvaez-Bravo stated, “This represents a failure in this particular facility on the basics of food safety.”
Delayed Regulatory Actions
The timeline of events surrounding the outbreak raises further concerns about the CFIA’s approach to food safety. On June 20, 2024, Public Health Ontario alerted the federal agency to a listeria outbreak, linking it to a sample of Silk unsweetened coconut milk. Although lab results confirmed the link by June 26, the facility remained operational for weeks before being shut down.
Jennifer Ronholm, an associate professor of food science at McGill University, questioned the delay in regulatory action. “There were clear, big problems in this plant like two or three weeks before it was linked to the outbreak. The outbreak could have been stopped a little sooner than it was,” she stated. The CFIA maintained that additional evidence was required before taking action, which ultimately delayed the response.
Why it Matters
The tragic consequences of this listeria outbreak serve as a stark reminder of the critical need for robust food safety regulations and proactive oversight in the rapidly evolving plant-based beverage sector. The lapses observed in the Joriki facility not only underscore systemic vulnerabilities within Canada’s food safety infrastructure but also highlight the urgent requirement for regulatory reform. As consumer trust continues to wane, it is imperative that Canadian authorities prioritise the implementation of rigorous safety protocols to ensure the health and safety of the public. The lessons learned from this incident must catalyse change to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
