There have been reported illnesses that may be associated with the consumption of these products. Saputo says further lab testing is under way to confirm the possible link.
First recall
On June 4, Saputo announced the recall of 4 liter bags of partly skimmed chocolate milk that were distributed in Ontario and Quebec.
The product has a UPC code of 0 66800 00047 3 and a best before date of JN01 2016. The bag clip ID is 1590JN01H8.
Expanded recall
A day later, Saputo expanded the recall to other products, listed in the table below.
In response, the company also closed the production line on which the recalled Neilson branded product was manufactured.
Saputo said that although the exact cause of the incident remains undetermined, the recall now includes all products manufactured until June 3, 2016 on the affected production line of its Georgetown, Ontario facility (Plant registration #1590).
They have best before dates up to and including June 22. No other Neilson chocolate milk products are affected by this recall.
Consumers have been advised to not consume the recalled products.
Refunds available
The affected products are sold through food service institutions such as restaurants, retail outlets and supermarkets. Anyone who has purchased the affected product can return it to the place of purchase for a refund.
Food contaminated with L. monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still make people sick. Symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness.
Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, the infection can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or even stillbirth. In severe cases of illness, people may die.