Coca-Cola has recalled 2,000 cases of its Diet Coke, Sprite and Fanta Orange offerings distributed in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida over concerns of a “foreign material” contamination.
The recall comprises 12-pack cases of 12-ounce cans of fizzy drinks — 417 of Diet Coke, 1,557 of Sprite and 14 of Fanta Orange, totaling a staggering 48,000 cans — the Food and Drug Administration disclosed in a filing.
The FDA’s notice shows that the recall started on Nov. 6 after United Packers — which distributes the popular soft drinks out of Alabama — notified the government agency of the issue, and remains ongoing.
Recalled Diet Coke cans have a best-buy date of Jan. 29, 2024, while the Sprite and Fanta cans in question are good through June 29, 2024.
It wasn’t immediately clear what the “foreign material” was, though food inspection firm FlexXray said that this often means contaminants are one of two things: material from the field, like stones, metal or insects, or matter from the handling process, such as plastic, glass, bone, paint chips or rust.
The FDA classified this recall as a Class II, indicating that the contaminated product “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote,” per the FDA’s website.
The agency didn’t divulge any further details about what type of harm this vague “foreign material” could cause.
The FDA declined to comment.
Coca-Cola did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
This marks the second time Coca-Cola has yanked its products off store shelves due to a “foreign” contaminant.
In December 2021, the company disclosed that washers and bolts had made their way into 7,000 cases of Minute Maid juice’s Berry Punch, Strawberry Lemonade and Fruit Punch flavors.
It took around one month for all the affected 59-ounce juice cartons to be recalled, the company said at the time.