Minute Maid Recalled These Juices In 8 States Over Metal Concerns

Multiple varieties of Minute Maid juice have been voluntarily recalled by The Coca-Cola Company due to concerns the juice may contain potentially hazardous metal objects like bolts or washers, Today has reported. While the recall includes at least three varieties of Minute Maid juice — Berry Punch, Strawberry Lemonade, and Fruit Punch — most consumers won’t have to worry as now-recalled juices were reportedly only distributed in eight states.

“This product did not meet our high-quality standards due to the potential presence of foreign matter,” a Coca-Cola Company spokesperson said in a statement to 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.”

According to Today, the Minute Maid product recall affected only 59-ounce cartons of refrigerated Berry Punch, Strawberry Lemonade, and Fruit Punch varieties that were distributed across Pennsylvania, New York, Maine, Virginia, Maryland, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and North Carolina. Overall, some 7,475 cases of Minute Maid juice are being recalled as part of what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told People was a Class II recall.

The FDA defines a Class II recall as “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.”

In an update from Food Safety News, The Coca-Cola Company cited concerns that juice cartons may contain a “foreign object,” specifically a “metal bolt or washer.”

In comments to Today, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola said the company had already completed a recall of affected products from stores in Pennsylvania, New York, Maine, Virginia, Maryland, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and North Carolina but had concerns customers who’d previously purchased a carton of the now-recalled juices might still have it at home.

The company is encouraging anyone who bought one of the three recalled Minute Maid varieties in any of the eight impacted states to check their carton for the following expiration dates and codes: Berry Punch varieties with a date stamp of Jan. 4, 2022 or Jan. 5, 2022 and a UPC code of 025000047671; Strawberry Lemonade varieties with a date stamp of Jan. 3, 2022 and a UPC code of 025000019760; and Fruit Punch varieties with a date of Jan. 5 and a UPC code of 025000047732.

Consumers who find they have a carton of Minute Maid that has been recalled are urged to return the product to the store they purchased it from or contact Coca-Cola's Consumer Interaction Center at 1-800 GET-COKE.