Coca-Cola Voluntarily Recalls Some Minute Maid Punch and Lemonade Drinks Due to Foreign Objects

Coca-Cola has issued a voluntary recall of some of its Minute Maid-brand drinks, because the affected products may contain foreign objects, specifically pieces of metal bolts or washers. According to USA Today, the recall includes 59-ounce refrigerated cartons of Minute Maid Berry Punch, Minute Maid Strawberry Lemonade, and Minute Maid Fruit Punch.

The recalled juice drinks were distributed in eight states: Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Food Safety News reports that more than 7,475 cases of Minute Maid drinks are included in the recall, and they will be marked with date codes that read Jan0322 NP, Jan0422 NP, or Jan0522 NP.

Coca-Cola said that it has completed its recall efforts at the retail level. Some of the affected products could've been sold before they were pulled, so Minute Maid drinkers are encouraged to check the date codes and batch numbers on any cartons they have in their fridges, and any matching item should be discarded.

"This product did not meet our high-quality standards due to the potential presence of foreign matter," Coca-Cola spokesperson Ann L. Moore told People. "We took this voluntary action because nothing is more important to us than providing safe, high-quality products to the people who drink our beverages."

This is the second beverage-related recall in the past month. In late November, Kraft Heinz recalled some packages of its powdered Country Time Lemonade, Country Time Pink Lemonade, Tang, and Arizona Tea along with some of its powdered Kool-Aid drinks due to the potential for them to contain "very small pieces of metal or glass." The affected packages are marked with "Best When Used By" dates between May 10, 2023, and November 1, 2023.

"The issue was first discovered during an internal review at the manufacturing facility," the FDA wrote in a news release. "The Company is actively working with retail partners and distributors to remove the potentially impacted product from circulation."

Anyone who believes they may have one of the recalled products is encouraged to return it to the store where it was purchased, discard it, or call Kraft Heinz Consumer Relations at 1-855-713-9237.

In addition, Coca-Cola has also recalled some 12-ounce cans of Coca-Cola and Sprite, "due to the potential presence of foreign matter." Those products, which appear to have been distributed to military commissaries throughout the southeast United States, will be marked with the date codes AUG 1522 WM B or AUG 1522 WM C. They were sold in 12-can fridge packs. Anyone who purchased the affected products has been advised to return them to the commissary for a refund, or to call Coca-Cola's Consumer Interaction Center at 1-800-438-2653.