The Canadian beverage packaging company that processed plant-based milk linked to a listeriosis outbreak has filed for protection from creditors as it plans a restructuring of its business.
Posted yesterday at 8:26 p.m.
Hannah Hostel
The Canadian Press
Documents posted Friday on the trustees’ website for the proposal show that Joriki Inc. filed a notice of intent with the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada in Toronto on Dec. 31.
Insolvent businesses use this mechanism to avoid liquidation and gain enough relief from creditors so they can keep their business afloat.
The documents include a notice to creditors listing more than 100 companies that collectively have claims totaling more than $200 million.
Joriki has three facilities in Canada and one in the United States, which is owned by a subsidiary.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has deemed a production line at the Joriki plant in Pickering, Ont., used by plant-based milk maker Danone Canada, to be the source of a listeriosis outbreak which resulted in three deaths between August 2023 and July 2024.
The proposal’s trustee, Alvarez & Marsal Canada, said in the letter to creditors that Joriki is not bankrupt, but hopes to “create a stabilized environment” and give the company “room to maneuver during that it evaluates its strategic alternatives.”
Neither the trustees nor company representatives responded to requests for comment.
The listeriosis outbreak that infected at least 20 people in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Alberta was not mentioned in the advisory.
Health Minister Mark Holland claimed at a press conference in October that Joriki was not following Health Canada’s policies on listeriosis prevention, including environmental swabbing. and finished product analysis, ahead of the national recall of several Silk and Great Value plant-based dairy products on July 8.
Creditors named include dozens of companies, ranging from packaging services to utility providers to the Canada Revenue Agency. More than 174 million are owed to Scotiabank.
Danone is also on the list of creditors, with claims of more than $200,000.
A spokesperson for Danone Canada said production at the affected plant had been moved elsewhere in its North American network.
“We do not anticipate any short-term supply interruptions and will work closely with our partners to ensure Canadians can continue to enjoy Silk refrigerated beverages,” Jennifer Vincent, communications manager, said in a statement.
Joriki, Danone and Walmart Canada are named in a class action brought in Quebec by LPC Avocats regarding the listeriosis epidemic. The suit has not yet been certified by a judge.
