
Canada links 2024 listeria outbreak to pasteurized plant-based milk, three dead
Ontario health investigators traced a 2024 listeriosis outbreak to a pasteurized plant-based milk brand, sickening at least 20 people (ages 7–89) and killing three, with 15 hospitalizations. Whole-genome sequencing tied multiple cases to the beverage; an updated survey pointed to the brand in 19 of 20 cases. The exact contamination source at a single Ontario plant was never identified, but the company recalled 18 product types and the facility halted production and later closed. The investigation underscored the value of testing leftover foods and led to adding questions about dairy alternatives to outbreak questionnaires, establishing plant-based drinks as a potential Listeria source.






