Why were several Canadian cheese brands recalled for Listeria in 2026?

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1. 1

   Listeria monocytogenes cross-contamination of cheese: risk throughout the food supply chain

   Epidemiology and Infection (Sauders & D’Amico)Published Jul 20, 2016Checked Oct 16, 2026

   “Listeria monocytogenes has been the most common microbial cause of cheese-related recalls in both the United States and Canada in recent years. Since L. monocytogenes is inactivated by pasteurization, the majority of these cases have been linked to environmental and cross-contamination of fresh-soft, soft-ripened, and semi-soft cheeses. Cross-contamination of foods with L. monocytogenes is a continuous risk throughout the food supply chain and presents unique challenges for subsequent illness and outbreak investigations. Reports on outbreaks of listeriosis attributed to cross-contamination downstream from primary processing help highlight the critical role of epidemiological investigation coupled with coordinated molecular subtyping and surveillance in the recognition and investigation of complex foodborne outbreaks. Despite their complexity, environmental sampling throughout the supply chain coupled with improved genotyping approaches and concomitant analysis of foodborne illness epidemiological exposure data are needed to help resolve these and similar cases more rapidly and with greater confidence.”

2. 2

   Listeria monocytogenes: An Inconvenient Hurdle for the Dairy Industry

   Dairy (Ribeiro et al.)Published Apr 19, 2023Checked Oct 16, 2026

   “Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic pathogen that affects specific groups of individuals, with a high mortality rate. The control of L. monocytogenes in dairy industries presents particular challenges, as this bacterium is capable of adhering and forming biofilms, as well as thriving at refrigerated temperatures, which enables it to persist in harsh environments. The consumption of dairy products has been linked to sporadic cases and outbreaks of listeriosis, and L. monocytogenes is frequently detected in these products in retail stores. Moreover, the bacterium has been shown to persist in dairy-processing environments. In this work, we review the main characteristics of L. monocytogenes and listeriosis, and highlight the factors that support its persistence in processing environments and dairy products. We also discuss the main dairy products involved in outbreaks of listeriosis since the early 1980s, and present control measures that can help to prevent the occurrence of this pathogen in foods and food-processing environments.”

3. 3

   Digesting the Data: Overview of Foodborne Outbreaks in Canada Submitted to Outbreak Summaries, 2008-2023.

   Foodborne pathogens and disease (Schutt et al.)Published Jun 19, 2026Checked Oct 16, 2026

   “The highest absolute number of hospitalizations was attributed to Salmonella (n = 796), followed by Escherichia coli (n = 249), and Listeria monocytogenes (n = 97). L. monocytogenes had the highest hospitalization rate (94%, n = 97), and case fatality rate (17%, n = 35). A confirmed or suspected food vehicle was identified in 230 outbreaks (51%), accounting for 10,587 outbreak-associated cases (72%). The most frequently identified food vehicles were raw vegetables (n = 36, 15.7%), chicken (n = 29, 12.6%), and fresh shellfish (n = 17, 7.4%). The pathogen-food pairs associated with the most outbreaks were Salmonella in chicken (26/221) and whole eggs (15/221) and E. coli in raw vegetables (13/221). Analysis of foodborne outbreaks in the context of pathogens and food vehicles supports the investigative work of public health authorities in Canada. The expansion of program participants and more than 15 years of surveillance data provide a more comprehensive understanding of the foodborne outbreak landscape in Canada.”

4. 4

   A new suspect: Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to pasteurised plant-based beverages, Canada, 2024

   Eurosurveillance (Hobbs et al.)Published Jun 18, 2026Checked Oct 16, 2026

   “All cases were infected with the same genetic strain of L. monocytogenes . Nineteen of the 20 outbreak-confirmed cases reported consuming the same brand of plant-based beverage product prior to illness onset, and the outbreak strain was found in six open leftover plant-based beverage samples collected from the homes of six outbreak-confirmed cases. All L. monocytogenes -positive food samples were produced at a single manufacturing facility in Ontario, Canada on the same production line. The outbreak strain was confirmed in post-pasteurisation processing areas at the manufacturing facility. However, the source of contamination was not determined. Leftover case–food sample collection by local public health authorities and laboratory testing were instrumental in the timely identification of the outbreak source - a food recall warning was issued within 2 weeks of initial case–food WGS match. Manufacturer adherence to applicable requirements regarding L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods continues to be critical to prevent Listeria contamination and subsequent illnesses and/or deaths.”

5. 5

   Listeria monocytogenes: A Continuous Global Threat in Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Foods.

   Foods (Basel, Switzerland) (Yangchen et al.)Published Oct 27, 2025Checked Oct 16, 2026

   “monocytogenes contamination from Australia, Europe, Canada, and the United States to assess the contamination trends in the RTE food supply chain. It also evaluates the effectiveness of antimicrobial intervention strategies, including both those currently implemented in industry and those that have been studied as potential interventions but are not yet widely adopted. Key factors affecting the efficiency of those strategies are identified, including food matrix composition, water activity (aw), fat content, and strain variability. Emerging multi-hurdle technology that integrates physical, chemical, and biological antimicrobial interventions are highlighted as promising approaches for maintaining both food safety and product quality. It also outlines the role of quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) as a decision-support tool to select appropriate control strategies, predict recall risk and guide evidence-based risk management. Future research directions are proposed to expand the application of QMRA in managing recall risks throughout the RTE food supply chain due to L. monocytogenes.”