Coca-Cola Recalls More Than 13,000 Cases of Minute Maid Lemonade After Mislabeling the Product as 'Zero Sugar'

Published: 10/16/2024, 11:50:28 AM EDT

Coca-Cola Recalls More Than 13,000 Cases of Minute Maid Lemonade After Mislabeling the Product as 'Zero Sugar' — A Coca-Cola logo in a restaurant in Washington on May 1, 2016. (Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images)

More than 13,000 cases of Coca-Cola’s Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade were recalled after the product was mislabeled, according to an enforcement report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Coca-Cola, Minute Maid's parent company, issued a voluntary recall in September for 13,152 cases of lemonade, each containing 12 cans, for labeling the product as “zero sugar”—although the cans contained regular Minute Maid Lemonade with full sugar content.

According to the nutritional facts listed on one can of Minute Maid zero-sugar lemonade, the product contains five calories, two grams of carbohydrates, and zero grams of sugar. A can of regular Minute Maid lemonade contains 150 calories, 40 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of other carbohydrates.

The mislabeled products were shipped to retail stores in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, the FDA said. The codes "FEB1725CNA" and "FEB1725CNB" are printed on the cartons of the recalled product as well as on the bottoms of the cans, allowing consumers to determine if they have purchased the affected items.

The FDA defined the call-back as a Class II recall, which involves a situation where consumers may experience “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote,” the FDA states.

A press release was not issued for the recall, according to the report.

Happy Moose Recall

On Oct. 7, the FDA announced a recall of 3,402 bottles of Happy Moose Juice products due to a portion of the production lot not completing the High-Pressure Processing (HPP) treatment.

The items sold were 12-ounce plastic bottles, and consumers can find the enjoy-by date at the bottom of each bottle below the label. The affected products include:

1,701 bottles of Happy Moose Juice Tropical Roots with lot number H240903-E and an enjoy-by date of Dec. 2, 2024;
1,017 bottles of Happy Moose Juice Strawberry Fields with lot number H240903-H and an enjoy-by date of Dec. 2, 2024.

The HPP treatment is used to extend the product's shelf life, prevent spoilage, and significantly reduce the risk of pathogens such as Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and diarrheagenic E. coli, according to the report.

The recall was launched voluntarily by Youngstown Grape Distributors Inc., a co-manufacturer for Happy Moose Juice, after complaints of “spoiled juices” were reported.

There have been no reported illnesses related to these products to date. Consumers who have bought the affected products are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.