Two law firms have filed class-action lawsuits on behalf of Canadians impacted by a listeriosis outbreak linked to the consumption of recalled plant-based milks.
A nationwide recall for 18 beverages under the Silk and Great Value brands was issued by The Canadian Food Inspection Agency July 8. The plant-based milks, which are manufactured by Danone Inc., and Walmart Canada Corp., were recalled due to possible listeria monocytogenes contamination.
The recalled products have since been linked to 12 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases, resulting in two deaths and nine hospitalizations. Ten of the cases were located in Ontario, and one each was reported in Quebec and Nova Scotia, according to a July 17 Health Canada advisory.
Law firms Slater Vecchio LLP of Vancouver and LPC Avocats of Montreal have both filed class-action lawsuits against Danone Inc., and Walmart Canada Corp.
“Canadians should be able to trust that the food and beverages that they consume are safe and do not present a serious risk of harm to individuals,” Slater Vecchio partner Saro Turner said in a July 22 press release.
“This lawsuit seeks to hold the companies that distributed these allegedly contaminated beverages accountable for their conduct in Canada and to obtain compensation for individuals who got sick or suffered economic losses.”
Slater Vecchio filed its class-action lawsuit in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on July 22 while LPC Avocats filed in Quebec on July 18.
Both lawsuits are open to any Canadian who purchased Silk brand almond milk, coconut milk, almond-coconut milk, or oat milk or Great Value brand almond milk. A large portion had best-before dates up to and including Oct. 4.
Slater Vecchio is urging Canadians who felt ill after consuming a recalled beverage to join the lawsuit. Those who became sick are asked to fill out a form on the firm’s website to document when they consumed the beverage, what product they consumed, when they began feeling sick, what their symptoms were, and how long they were symptomatic.
“This information will assist in establishing that an illness is connected to the consumption of a recalled Silk or Great Value brand product,” the law firm said on its class action webpage.
Those wishing to join the LPC Avocats class action can also apply through the firm’s website.
Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne bacterial infection that can cause listeriosis. Even if products contaminated with listeria do not look or smell spoiled, they can still make you sick, Health Canada says.
The infection can cause a number of symptoms, with the most common being nausea, vomiting, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. In more serious cases, it can also lead to meningitis, blood poisoning, miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature birth.
Those most susceptible to becoming seriously ill are individuals 60 or older, those with weakened immune systems, unborn babies, and newborns, the health agency said.
Sixty-seven percent of the cases, which were reported from August 2023 to early July 2024, involved women, the agency said. The age range of those who became ill was between 37 and 89, with 58 percent being 60 or older.
