Two people have died after an outbreak of listeriosis triggered a national recall of certain plant-based milks, the Public Health Agency of Canada said Wednesday.

Silk brand almond milk, coconut milk, almond-coconut milk and oat milk were recalled earlier this month, as was Great Value brand almond milk.

Most of the recalled products have best-before dates up to and including Oct. 4. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased.

The agency did not provide details about the deaths in a public health notice issued Wednesday, but said there have been 12 laboratory-confirmed cases of the illness.

Ontario鈥檚 Health Ministry has confirmed that the two listeriosis deaths linked to a plant-based milk recall were in that province.

Twelve people, including 10 in Ontario, one in Quebec and one in Nova Scotia have fallen ill after drinking Listeria-contaminated Silk and Great Value brand milks.

Ontario鈥檚 Ministry of Health would not comment Thursday on the ages of the people who died, but the Public Health Agency of Canada says 58 per cent of the listeriosis illness have been in adults 60 years of age and over.

The agency said people became sick between August 2023 and early July 2024.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said products contaminated with Listeria may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick.

Symptoms of listeriosis can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness.

Pregnant people may only have mild, flu-like symptoms but listeriosis can still lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or stillbirth, the recall notice said.

The president of Danone Canada said the 15 Silk refrigerated beverage products that were recalled have been removed from retail shelves.

鈥淲e are working with the utmost seriousness and in close partnership with the authorities to thoroughly investigate and shed light on the circumstances surrounding this event,鈥� Fr茅d茅ric Guichard said in a statement Wednesday.

An outbreak of listeriosis in Canada has been deadly before. In 2008, an outbreak of the disease linked to cold cuts from a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto killed 22 Canadians.

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