FDA warns of possible plastic in recalled Coca-Cola cans

More than 10,000 cans of Original Coca-Cola distributed in two states have been voluntarily recalled. 

Manufacturer Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling initiated the recall on March 6 after reports of foreign plastic found inside cans. On March 24, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated the recall as Class II, per the FDA enforcement report. 

According to the FDA’s recall classification page, a Class II recall means “a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”

The report indicated that 864 12-count packs of the product distributed in Illinois and Wisconsin are included in the recall. The products have a single-can UPC of 0 49000-00634 6 and 12-pack UPC of 0 49000-02890 4. The recall number is F-0664-2025.

A spokesperson with Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling confirmed the recall to ABC News. “The cases are being withdrawn because they did not meet our high-quality standards,” the spokesperson said. “We are taking this voluntary action because nothing is more important to us than providing high-quality products to the people who drink our beverages.”

The latest recall is definitely not the first recall over foreign plastic or other foreign materials being found inside of a product’s packaging lately. Last month, Trader Joe’s issued a recall of its Frozen Acai Bowls over plastic contamination, and just last week, Nestlé USA recalled a number of Stouffer’s and Lean Cuisine meals over wood-like foreign material in the meals.

If it seems like recalls have been happening more frequently lately, there’s truth to that suspicion. A February 2025 report, published by the Public Interest Research Group, a nonprofit consumer protection group, found that last year, there were about 300 food recalls which led to nearly 1,400 illnesses and 19 deaths.

“Nearly 1,400 people became ill from food they ate in 2024 – 98% of them from just 13 outbreaks, a stunning fact that shows the consequences of companies producing or selling contaminated food,” the report explained.

Stunningly, the number of hospitalizations and deaths in 2024 were about twice that of the previous year. According to that report, the most concerning contaminants were Listeria, Salmonella and E. coli.

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