Vancouver's Slater Vecchio LLP has filed a class action lawsuit in BC Supreme Court against the Quaker Oats Co. and PepsiCo Canada ULC on behalf of Canadians who bought or claim to have fallen ill from comsuming a range of those companies' products.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Jan. 11 recalled 38 Quaker products including Quaker-branded granola and cereal products due to possible Salmonella contamination. The CFIA then recalled more than 30 yogurt and parfait products that contained recalled Quaker granola.
PepsiCo Inc. (Nasdaq:PEP) owns Quaker Oats and PepsiCo Canada ULC is one of the snack-food giant's arms.
Here is a full list of the products that were recalled as of Jan. 16. The best before dates on recalled items are between Jan. 11 and Oct. 7, 2024.
The recalls have hit Quaker's sales, as the company has yet to backfill orders at grocery stores to make up for the recalled products. BIV checked multiple grocery stores in downtown Vancouver for some of the products, such as Quaker Harvest Crunch cereals, and found shelves bare.
"Canadians trust manufacturers to produce packaged foods that can safely be consumed without the risk of illness from contaminationk" said Sam Jaworski, a partner at Slater Vecchio LLP. "Througha class action, Canadians can access justice to hold suppliers accountable through strength in numbers, even if it would not be economical to pursue a lawsuit at the individual level."
Health Canada is advising Canadians who purchased recalled products but not yet consumed them to throw the products out.