Half of Canada's Plant-Based Food Facilities Were Never Inspected: What You Need to Know to Protect Your Family

What This Means for You

If you buy plant-based milk, yogurt, or other dairy alternatives in Canada, the food safety system you rely on has significant gaps that were hidden until this week. Newly released Freedom of Information documents reveal that the facility responsible for a listeria outbreak that killed three Canadians and hospitalized 15 more had conditions that food safety experts describe as "huge red flags" — and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency had never set foot inside roughly half of the 54 plant-based food manufacturing facilities operating in Canada.

Based on our analysis of the FOI documents, the CFIA's response, and the broader food safety landscape in Canada, here is a comprehensive guide to protecting yourself and your family right now.

If You Buy Plant-Based Milk or Dairy Alternatives

The 2024 outbreak involved Silk and Great Value brand plant-based milks manufactured at a third-party facility in Pickering, Ontario, operated by Joriki Inc. According to the CFIA, the recall covered 18 products including almond, coconut, oat, and cashew milks. While the recalled products from 2024 are no longer on shelves (Joriki ceased operations at the end of 2024), the systemic issues revealed by the FOI documents mean that other facilities producing similar products may have similar gaps.

Immediate steps to take:

Check Canada's recall database regularly at recalls-rappels.canada.ca — bookmark this page and check it weekly. You can also sign up for email alerts by clicking "Get recall & safety alert notifications"
Download the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Recalls app (available for iOS and Android) to receive push notifications for new food recalls
Read product labels carefully — look for the manufacturer's name and facility information, not just the brand name. Many popular brands use third-party contract manufacturers (co-packers) whose names do not appear prominently on packaging
Check expiration dates and discard any product that smells off, has unusual texture, or appears bloated — these can be signs of bacterial contamination, though listeria often produces no visible signs

What to look for on labels:

A valid establishment number (EST) or Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licence number
The manufacturing facility's location (sometimes listed as "manufactured for [brand] by [facility]")
Best-by dates and lot codes — keep these if you need to cross-reference with a recall

Example scenario: A family in Mississauga regularly purchases oat milk from a major grocery chain. The parent checks the CFIA recall database weekly and notices a new recall affecting their brand's lot code. They check their fridge, find the affected product, take a photo of the label for their records, and return it to the store for a refund. Because they caught it within days, no one in the household consumed the product. Total time invested: three minutes per week.

If You or a Family Member Has a Weakened Immune System

Listeria monocytogenes is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, the elderly, newborns, and individuals with compromised immune systems (such as those undergoing chemotherapy or organ transplant recipients). According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, listeriosis has a case fatality rate of approximately 20 to 30 percent in high-risk populations — far higher than most foodborne illnesses.

Specific precautions for high-risk individuals:

Consider purchasing only pasteurized, shelf-stable plant-based milks rather than refrigerated varieties. Shelf-stable (aseptic) products undergo ultra-high temperature processing that effectively eliminates listeria
Keep your refrigerator at 4°C (40°F) or below — use a refrigerator thermometer to verify, as built-in thermostats can be inaccurate. Listeria can grow at refrigerator temperatures, but growth is significantly slowed below 4°C
Consume opened refrigerated plant-based milks within 7 days regardless of the best-by date
Clean your refrigerator with a mild bleach solution (5 mL of bleach per 750 mL of water) at least once a month, paying special attention to the door seals and drip trays where bacteria can accumulate
Talk to your doctor or dietitian about whether plant-based milks are the best option for your nutritional needs, and whether switching to shelf-stable alternatives is appropriate

Calculating your risk: If you consume one 250 mL serving of refrigerated plant-based milk daily, you go through approximately two cartons per week. Each carton represents a potential exposure point. By switching to shelf-stable products — which cost roughly $0.50 to $1.00 more per carton — you can substantially reduce your listeria risk. For a high-risk individual, that $4 to $8 per month in additional cost is a small price for significantly reduced risk.

If You Work in the Food Industry

The FOI documents reveal systemic issues that should concern every food industry professional in Canada. According to the Globe and Mail, the CFIA's inspector general found that the agency had never visited approximately 27 of the 54 plant-based food manufacturing facilities in Canada. The CFIA has now committed to inspecting more than 2,400 licensed food manufacturing facilities by fall 2026 — the largest inspection blitz in the manufactured-food sector's history.

What this means for your business:

Expect an inspection — if your facility has not been visited by the CFIA, it is likely on the priority list for the fall 2026 blitz. Prepare now by conducting an internal audit
Review your listeria environmental monitoring program — the Joriki facility, according to FOI documents obtained by the Canadian Press, "does not list listeria as a hazard" in its food safety plan. Ensure your Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan explicitly addresses listeria at every relevant step
Check your facility conditions — the FOI documents described peeling paint, condensation on ceilings in pasteurization areas, and inadequate sanitation protocols at Joriki. These are all conditions that create environments where listeria can thrive. Conduct a walkthrough of your facility with fresh eyes
Document everything — the CFIA is expected to deploy stronger enforcement measures, including financial penalties and licence revocations, according to their action plan. Thorough documentation of your food safety practices is your best defence
Consider third-party food safety certification through organizations like SQF, BRC, or FSSC 22000 — these certifications require annual audits and can demonstrate due diligence

For All Canadians: Understanding Food Safety in Canada

Canada's food safety system operates on a licensing model where facilities must hold a Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licence to manufacture, process, treat, preserve, grade, package, or label food for interprovincial trade or export. However, as this case reveals, holding a licence does not guarantee that a facility has ever been physically inspected.

Key facts you should know:

2,400+ licensed facilities have never been physically inspected by the CFIA, according to the agency's own inspector general
The CFIA relies on paper-based assessments for many licensed facilities, reviewing food safety plans and documentation without visiting the actual production floor
Third-party contract manufacturers (like Joriki) produce food for well-known brands. The brand on the label may have quality standards, but the actual manufacturing conditions may differ
The $6.5 million class action settlement reached in November 2025 between Danone Canada, Walmart Canada, and affected consumers was the financial resolution — but it does not address the systemic regulatory gaps

The News: What Happened

According to the Canadian Press and the Globe and Mail, Freedom of Information documents released on April 17, 2026 reveal that the Pickering, Ontario facility at the centre of the deadly 2024 Silk plant-based milk listeria outbreak had conditions that food safety experts describe as a "haven for listeria."

The CFIA inspection conducted between June 26 and August 22, 2024 — after the outbreak had already begun — found peeling and flaking paint on floors, condensation on ceilings in pasteurization areas, and a food safety plan that did not list listeria as a hazard, according to the Canadian Press. Food safety experts who reviewed the documents told the Canadian Press that these were "huge red flags" that should have been caught earlier.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, the outbreak resulted in 20 reported illnesses across four provinces and territories, 15 hospitalizations, and three deaths. The outbreak was linked to almond, soy, coconut, and cashew milks sold under the Silk and Great Value brands, all manufactured by Joriki Inc. at the Pickering facility.

As reported by the Globe and Mail, the CFIA's inspector general conducted a review of plant-based manufacturing in Canada following the outbreak and found that the agency had never physically visited approximately half of the 54 plant-based food facilities in the country. In response, the CFIA announced the largest inspection blitz in the manufactured-food sector's history, targeting more than 2,400 licensed facilities that have never been inspected, with completion expected by fall 2026.

Joriki Inc. ceased operations at the end of 2024. According to the Canadian Press, Danone Canada, Walmart Canada Corp., and Intact Insurance Company reached a $6.5 million class action settlement in November 2025 with Canadians who purchased or consumed the recalled products.

Analysis: Why This Matters

A Systemic Failure, Not an Isolated Incident

Based on our analysis, the most alarming revelation in the FOI documents is not the conditions at the Joriki facility — it is the CFIA's admission that half of plant-based food manufacturing facilities in Canada had never been physically inspected. This suggests a systemic regulatory gap rather than a single bad actor.

Canada's food safety system was built for a different era. Traditional dairy facilities have been subject to rigorous inspection regimes for decades, with well-established protocols for pasteurization, sanitation, and pathogen monitoring. But as the plant-based food sector has grown rapidly — Canadian plant-based milk sales exceeded $600 million annually according to industry data — the regulatory framework has not kept pace.

The CFIA's licensing model allowed facilities to operate based on paper submissions and documentation reviews, without anyone physically verifying that the conditions described in a food safety plan actually existed on the production floor. At Joriki, the gap between the plan and reality was lethal.

The Inspection Blitz: What to Expect

The CFIA's commitment to inspect 2,400+ facilities by fall 2026 is unprecedented in scale. Based on our analysis, this means approximately 400 inspections per month over the next five to six months — a significant operational challenge for an agency that was already stretched thin. The quality and thoroughness of these inspections will determine whether this blitz produces meaningful safety improvements or amounts to a checklist exercise.

The CFIA has also committed to stronger enforcement measures, including financial penalties and licence revocations. We expect the first enforcement actions to begin emerging in summer 2026 as the blitz progresses.

What Happens Next

Fall 2026: CFIA inspection blitz completion deadline for 2,400+ facilities
Ongoing: Stronger enforcement measures including financial penalties and licence revocations
Parliamentary oversight: The House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food may hold hearings on the inspection gap
Industry response: Expect major plant-based food brands to increase scrutiny of their contract manufacturers and potentially bring more production in-house

Your Action Plan

Immediate (This Week):

Check your fridge for any recalled products at recalls-rappels.canada.ca
Download the CFIA Recalls & Safety Alerts app on your phone
Verify your refrigerator temperature is at or below 4°C with a thermometer
Sign up for CFIA email recall notifications at recalls-rappels.canada.ca

Short-term (This Month):

Review all plant-based products in your home — check manufacturers and expiry dates
Consider switching high-risk family members to shelf-stable (aseptic) plant-based milks
Clean your refrigerator thoroughly with a mild bleach solution
Review food storage and handling practices with your household

Long-term (This Year):

Follow the CFIA inspection blitz progress — check for enforcement actions and new recalls through fall 2026
Contact your MP to advocate for increased CFIA inspection funding (ourcommons.ca/members)
Stay informed about food safety developments through the CFIA's website and recall notifications

Other Perspectives

Canadian Food Inspection Agency:

According to the CFIA, the agency has acknowledged the inspection gap and has committed to its largest-ever inspection blitz, targeting more than 2,400 licensed food manufacturing facilities by fall 2026. The CFIA stated it will also bolster licensing requirements and deploy stronger enforcement measures, including financial penalties and licence revocations, as reported by the Globe and Mail.

Food Safety Experts:

Experts who reviewed the FOI documents told the Canadian Press that the conditions described at the Joriki facility — including peeling paint, ceiling condensation in pasteurization areas, and a food safety plan that did not list listeria as a hazard — were "huge red flags" that should have prompted earlier intervention. The experts characterized the facility as a "haven for listeria."

Industry (Danone Canada):

Danone Canada, which sells products under the Silk brand, reached a $6.5 million class action settlement in November 2025, according to the Canadian Press. Danone has not commented publicly on the FOI revelations. The company had contracted Joriki as a third-party manufacturer for its plant-based milk products.

Affected Families:

The outbreak resulted in three deaths and 15 hospitalizations, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Families of victims have expressed frustration that the facility had never been inspected by the CFIA prior to the outbreak, and that systemic failures in the regulatory system allowed the conditions to persist.

Consumer Advocates:

Consumer advocacy groups have called for mandatory, regular physical inspections of all licensed food manufacturing facilities — not just paper-based reviews. According to reporting by the Globe and Mail, advocates argue that the CFIA's licensing model creates a false sense of security for consumers who assume that a licensed product has been manufactured in a verified-safe facility.

Note: Including multiple perspectives does not imply all views are equally valid, but ensures readers can make informed judgments.

Corrections Policy

We strive for accuracy. If you find an error in this analysis, please email us at [email protected]. We will promptly investigate and correct any factual inaccuracies.

Updates:

No corrections to date (as of April 19, 2026)

Sources

Canadian Press, "FOI documents suggest plant-based milk facility linked to deadly outbreak was 'haven for listeria,' experts say," April 17, 2026
Globe and Mail, "Federal food-safety regulator launches inspection blitz after deadly listeria outbreak," 2026
Global News, "Plant-based milk facility 'haven for listeria' before deadly outbreak: docs," April 17, 2026
Public Health Agency of Canada, "Public Health Notice: Outbreak of Listeria infections linked to recalled plant-based refrigerated beverages," 2024
Canada.ca, "Various Silk and Great Value brand plant based refrigerated beverages recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes," July 2024
CFIA, "Statement on the conclusion of the food safety investigation," October 2024
Canadian Press, Danone/Walmart $6.5 million class action settlement, November 2025
Canada.ca, Food recalls and safety alerts, recalls-rappels.canada.ca