Plant-Based Milk Producer Linked to Listeria Outbreak Files for Creditor Protection

Joriki Inc. seeks financial restructuring after a listeria outbreak tied to its facility led to three deaths and a major recall.

Joriki Inc., a beverage packaging company, has filed for creditor protection to restructure its $203 million debt owed to over 200 creditors.
The company's Pickering, Ontario facility was identified as the source of a listeria outbreak that caused 20 illnesses and three deaths in 2023 and 2024.
A Globe and Mail investigation revealed the facility had not been inspected for listeria prevention by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for at least five years due to a risk-based algorithm system.
The outbreak prompted a recall of plant-based milk products under the Silk and Great Value brands, produced for Danone Canada, which has since moved production to other suppliers.
Joriki, Danone, and Walmart Canada are facing a class-action lawsuit in Quebec over the outbreak, though the lawsuit has not yet been certified by a judge.