Lemonade Recall: FDA Updates Risk Levels Amid Health Concerns
According to News Week, More than 13,000 cans of Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade are being voluntarily recalled following a labeling mistake. The cans were mistakenly packaged as regular lemonade, which contains sugar, leading to a Class II risk definition by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Understanding the Class II Recall
A Class II recall indicates “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences, or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”
Affected Products and Distribution
The affected products were distributed to retail stores in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. They bear the UPC code 0 25000 12115 9, along with one of the two product codes: FEB1725CNA or FEB1725CNB. According to Spartan Nash, the food solutions company involved, the 12-ounce cans were sold in fridge packs, and while the cans themselves were not mislabeled, the outer packaging contained the error.
Company Response
A spokesperson for Coca-Cola, which owns Minute Maid, confirmed the recall in an emailed statement. “In September, Coca-Cola Consolidated voluntarily recalled a limited quantity of Minute Maid Lemonade 12-ounce cans in parts of Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. No impacted product remains in the market, and all recall activities in those markets are complete.”
Industry Recall Trends
Mislabeling accounted for nearly 10 percent of all recalls issued by the FDA from 2020 to 2024. Other common causes for product recalls include undeclared allergens, contamination by foodborne pathogens, and foreign objects in food. Minute Maid last faced a recall in November 2021, involving Berry Punch, Strawberry Lemonade, and Fruit Punch drinks due to foreign matter presence, which was also classified as a Class II risk.
Recall Classification System
The FDA categorizes recalls into three classes:
- Class I: Highest risk level, indicating a “reasonable probability” of serious adverse health consequences or death.
- Class II: Intermediate risk, as described earlier.
- Class III: Lowest risk, where exposure to the product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.
Recent data from Trace One indicates that the total number of food recalls issued by the FDA and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) rose from 454 in 2020 to 547 in 2023, representing an increase of over 20 percent. All classes of recalls have seen an uptick, with Class I recalls increasing annually since 2020.
