Company that processed plant-based milk linked to listeria permanently closes plants [Video]

The Canadian company that processed plant-based milk linked to a deadly listeria outbreak has permanently closed all four of its plants.

A spokesperson for Toronto-based Joriki said the closures meant the majority of Joriki’s employees were laid off when it shuttered its two plants in Ontario, one in B.C. and one in Pennsylvania owned by a subsidiary.

The spokesperson said that as the company is pursuing creditor protection, it doesn’t have the finances to maintain operations and does not plan to reopen the plants.

Joriki has filed for creditor production and says it plans to restructure its business.

Its filings listed more than 100 organizations that Joriki owes over $200 million, including $775,000 in unpaid wages.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the company’s Pickering, Ont. plant was the source of a listeria outbreak that led to three deaths between August 2023 and July 2024. The outbreak infected at least 20 people in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Alberta.