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A plant-based milk factory was the source of the 2024 listeriosis outbreak, according to the CFIA.
(Toronto) Documents detailing the inspection of a beverage production plant, believed to be the source of a deadly listeriosis outbreak, reveal that the plant was cited for several previously undisclosed infractions. Some of these suggested, according to experts, that it may have created a "Listeria breeding ground."
Published at 12:35
Hannah Alberga
The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press obtained, through an access to information request, a copy of an inspection report conducted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) at a plant in Pickering, Ontario, which packaged several types of plant-based milks initially recalled on July 8, 2024 by the CFIA due to concerns about listeria contamination.
The Public Health Agency of Canada indicated that the outbreak had resulted in 20 reported cases of illness, 15 hospitalizations and 3 deaths.
The problems identified by inspectors between June 26, 2024, and August 22, 2024, included condensation on the ceiling and peeling paint on the floor in the pasteurization areas of Joriki, the third-party plant that packaged soy, almond, and coconut milk for the Silk and Great Value brands. The Pickering production line was immediately shut down following the recall and never resumed operations.
Although parts of the document have been redacted, food safety experts say the visible details reveal "major red flags" at the factory that should have prompted health authorities to act sooner.
"The CFIA should have inspected this factory at a much higher frequency," said Lawrence Goodridge, a professor of food safety at the University of Guelph.
"This could have been avoided."
In response to criticism that it should have detected these violations earlier, the CFIA stated that it was the company's responsibility to produce safe food and that the federal agency's role was to conduct inspections and exercise risk-based oversight.
Joriki was not classified as high risk by the CFIA in 2021, according to a model that the federal agency has since been adapting to take into account potential food safety concerns, consumer complaints and historical trends.
"The 2024 listeriosis outbreak highlighted the importance of rigorous surveillance in emerging product categories, such as plant-based beverages, and the CFIA is taking decisive steps to modernize and strengthen its systems," the federal agency said.
Danone Canada, which markets Silk products, said it was unable to comment due to ongoing legal proceedings. The company, Walmart Canada, and Intact Insurance reached a $6.5 million settlement in November as part of a class-action lawsuit filed by Canadians who purchased or consumed the recalled plant-based milk.
Joriki ceased operations at the end of 2024. Its court-appointed representative did not respond to repeated requests for comment regarding this inspection, made by email and voicemail for over a month.
The Canadian Press has been trying since 2024 to get comments from Joriki on media coverage related to the epidemic, but has never received a response.
Joriki disputed the CFIA's claims to the Globe and Mail , stating in a December 2024 article that it had a listeria monitoring program, which included sampling on the production line and testing on finished products.
The company also stated that the CFIA had never raised any concerns about its program before the outbreak.
Warning signs
Listeria is ubiquitous in the environment and can spread easily in food processing plants, making sterilization of every corner of the facilities essential.
Lori Burrows, a microbiologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, pointed out that the peeling paint mentioned in the inspector's report therefore posed a major problem for disinfection.
"It's like the difference between wiping a countertop and wiping a lawn," explained Ms. Burrows .
Bacteria also thrive in humid environments, such as surfaces with condensation, which the report said was found on the ceiling in the dosing and pasteurization areas of the Joriki plant.
Not only does condensation provide an ideal environment for listeria to thrive, but the fact that it was on the ceiling means it could have dripped directly onto the produce, she added.
The federal inspection also revealed that trash and empty cartons had accumulated in the loading area, which Mr. Goodridge said could have attracted disease-carrying mice and rats.
"This shows me systemic failures in the factory with regard to food safety, a lack, a glaring lack, of food safety procedures," he said.
"The factory where the drink was manufactured may well have been a breeding ground for Listeria."
Failure for food security
One of the first lessons Professor Claudia Narvaez-Bravo teaches her students about food safety at the University of Manitoba is how to develop a plan to control and prevent contamination. In the industry, this step is known as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).
Health Canada's Listeria policy is based on the HACCP principles of identifying, assessing and controlling risks to food safety.
The CFIA inspection report states, in a partially redacted entry, that the factory "does not mention listeria as a hazard".
Even without knowing the full context, Ms. Narvaez -Bravo stated that the absence of this fundamental principle was concerning.
"When dealing with ready-to-eat foods, Listeria monocytogenes is always a problem. You always have to keep Listeria monocytogenes in mind," she said.
"The fact that they did not document it and did not have an adequate hygiene program clearly indicates that this combination was a source of problems."
The inspection also indicates that the finished product "is not tested for Listeria."
In a subsequent report, the federal agency stated that Joriki "had not properly implemented environmental sampling and testing on finished products."
"Basically, this is a failure to adhere to the fundamental principles of food safety in this particular establishment," summarized Ms. Narvaez -Bravo.
https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/...idemie-de-listeriose-en-2024-selon-l-acia.php
