The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed that Coca-Cola was forced to recall some of its products over “potential foreign material,” which includes recalls of Diet Coke, Sprite, and Fanta Orange.
According to an FDA enforcement report, the beverage giant initiated the recalls in Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama. In all, the recall impacts 1,557 cases of 12-ounce cans of Sprite, 417 cases of Diet Coke, and 14 cases of Fanta Orange.
The FDA regulatory filing shows that the recall initiated on Nov. 6, and it was done by United Packers, a firm based in Alabama.
“Coca-Cola Bottling UNITED voluntarily recalled a limited quantity of Fanta Orange, Sprite, and Diet Coke in a total of 48 stores in the following markets: Valparaiso, Florida; Robertsdale and Mobile, Alabama; and Gulfport and Ocean Springs, Mississippi,” a Coca-Cola spokesperson told Fox News on Thursday. “No impacted product remains in the market, and all recall activities in those markets are complete.”
Consumers who bought the products can look at the UPC numbers and best-by dates. The recalled Diet Coke has a UPC of 49000028911 with a best-by date of January 29, 2024; the recalled Sprite UPC is 49000028928, with a best-by date of July 29, 2024; and the Fanta Orange UPC code is 49000030730 with a best-by date of July 29, 2024.
The report did not say what “potential foreign material” was inside the cans. It also did not say what risks the material might pose to consumers.
The FDA classified the recall as Class II, which suggests that a “violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.”
Federal agencies often use the terms “foreign” and “extraneous” materials to describe metal pieces, plastic fragments, insects, or rubber that make it inside packaged items.
“It is economically impractical to grow, harvest or process raw products that are totally free of non-hazardous, naturally occurring, unavoidable defects,“ the FDA says in its handbook on recalls. ”Products harmful to consumers are subject to regulatory action whether or not they exceed the action levels.”
Other Recalls
A dairy company in Illinois sent out a recall of a batch of holiday eggnog amid concerns the packaging would be mislabeled.“This specific batch may have been mislabeled related to egg allergens,” Prairie Farms Dairy said, according to the FDA. “People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to egg may run the risk of serious allergic reactions if they consume these products.”
It comes after Elon Musk-owned Tesla announced the recall of more than 2 million of its electric vehicles across the United States. It came after the federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigated around 1,000 accidents when Tesla’s Autopilot feature was being used.
The recall is being done to update the Autopilot software and fix related issues with the system.
The largest-ever Tesla recall appears to cover nearly all vehicles on U.S. roads to better ensure drivers pay attention when using the system. Tesla’s recall filing said that Autopilot’s software system controls “may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse” and could increase the risk of a crash.
The NHTSA has spent over two years investigating whether vehicles produced by the electric automaker led by industrialist Elon Musk adequately ensure drivers pay attention.
Acting NHTSA Administrator Ann Carlson praised Tesla for agreeing to the recall. “One of the things we determined is that drivers are not always paying attention when that system is on,” she said at a U.S. House hearing.
Last week, the FDA also a posted a number of voluntary drug recalls that were initiated in recent days by major pharmaceutical companies.
