Two dead, 10 sickened by ALMOND MILK and other non-dairy drinks contaminated with deadly bacteria

Two people have died from listeria infection after consuming popular milk substitutes from the Silk and Great Value brands.

The patients were in Canada, where another 10 people fell ill during the outbreak, nine of whom were hospitalized. Most of the cases were in Ontario.

They ate Silk brand oat, almond, cashew or coconut milk alternatives, which are popular among health gurus and fitness enthusiasts.

Danone, the French company that owns Silk, has said the contaminated milk alternative was made by a third-party factory that is now under investigation. None of the contaminated products have been sold outside Canada, they added.

Above are boxes of Silk milk. Many have been recalled after listeria contamination came to light.

After the outbreak was announced, Health Canada recalled 18 milk replacers over concerns about listeria contamination, most of which were made by Silk.

It is not clear how the milk replacers became contaminated, but in previous cases this has been linked to contaminated milk. water dripping into the production line or onto processing equipment.

Workers can also transmit the bacteria to products if they come in with the bacteria on their clothing, or if the nuts used for the milk have been sprayed with contaminated water.

Dairy products are vulnerable to Listeria contamination, which is often associated with contaminated machinery, possibly via livestock feces.

Ten of the people who have fallen ill live in Ontario and two others in Quebec and Nova Scotia.

Nearly 60 percent of those infected are 60 years or older and became ill between August 2023 and early July 2024.

Public health officials say more illnesses could be detected because bacteria take longer to cause symptoms.

Above are the dates on which listeria infections associated with the contaminated milk replacers came to light

Frederic Guichard, President of Danone Canada, said: “The news contained in this announcement is devastating and our sincere condolences go out to the families and loved ones at this difficult time.

‘We are working with the utmost seriousness and in close cooperation with the authorities to thoroughly investigate and clarify the circumstances surrounding this event.’

Silk Milk is considered the most popular plant-based milk brand in the US by data firm Statista, with the highest percentage of Americans — 82 percent — saying they’ve heard of it.

The U.S. market for dairy alternatives is booming, with a value of more than $27.5 billion in 2022, up from previous years.

Listeria does not cause odor or color changes in contaminated milk replacers, so people can unintentionally consume them.

Warning signs of infection include nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and constipation. These symptoms usually occur within a few hours to three days after infection.

According to the FDA, more than 90 percent of patients are hospitalized.

In severe cases, the bacteria can spread to the nervous system, causing meningitis (inflammation of the fluid surrounding the brain) and sepsis, both of which can be fatal.

People with weakened immune systems and those over 60 are at particularly high risk of the infection, officials say.

Pregnant women are also at greater risk of miscarriage if they become infected with listeria, because the bacteria can spread to the fetus.

It is estimated that in the US, about 1,600 people are infected with listeria each year, and about 260 people die from it.