Revealed: The 28 Sodas, Juices, and Other Beverages Recalled by the FDA for Containing Harmful Ingredients and Cancer Chemicals

So far, nearly 30 drinks have been recalled by the FDA in 2024, the majority of which have been pulled from shelves because they contain harmful ingredients.

All but four (86 percent) of the 28 were recalled because they contained something the company did not declare, including drugs, bacteria and harmful chemicals.

A tea sold for pain relief was recalled because it contained anti-inflammatory drugs that were not listed on the label, while apple juice was recalled because it contained high levels of arsenic, a toxic metal linked to an increased risk of bladder and skin cancer.

These incidents come after several soft drink products and flavorings were also reported recalled for containing undeclared hazardous food colorings, including one that may cause this cancer.

Charles Boggini Company’s Cola Flavoring Base was removed because it contained undeclared sulfites

The biggest beverage recall of the year so far was Fiji Water.

About 1.9 million bottles of water made by Natural Waters of Viti Limited were recalled due to manganese and three types of bacteria found in the water.

According to the CDC, manganese is a mineral that the body needs to stay healthy, but at high concentrations it can cause damage to the brain.

The incident was categorized as a Class III health hazard, meaning the bottled water was “unlikely to cause adverse health effects.”

Dr. Darin Detwiler, a former FDA and USDA consultant and food safety expert at Northeastern University in Boston, told DailyMail.com that new drinks can hit the market very quickly without proper controls in place.

The number of recalls may be high compared to previous years because not only are more undeclared ingredients making their way into beverages, but there is also increasing regulatory pressure for the FDA to crack down on food and beverage companies, Dr. Detwiler said.

The 2024 numbers are a slight increase from last year: At this point in 2023, there had been 23 beverage recalls by the FDA.

The 2024 number is also slightly lower than 2018, when there were 30 beverage recalls during the same period.

Tapee Tea was recalled because it contained anti-inflammatory medications that were not listed on the label

“There are a lot of beverages that have come under scrutiny lately and a lot of it has to do with labeling and undeclared ingredients,” Dr. Detwiler said.

One such set of drinks were remembered this year soft drink from Charles Boggini Company: Pink Lemonade, Yellow Lemonade and Yellow Lemonade X, as well as a flavor product called Cola Flavoring Base.

The pink and yellow lemonades were recalled because the company failed to disclose that they contained the food colorings Red 40 and Yellow 5, respectively.

Both chemicals contain benzidine, a human and animal carcinogen that is permitted in low, presumably safe amounts.

However, companies must indicate whether products contain it.

According to the FDA, ingesting free benzidine increases the risk of cancer to just below the “concern” threshold, or one case of cancer per million people.

Beverages are more difficult to regulate than food or medicine, Dr. Detwiler said, because ingredients can be added at different times before reaching consumers.

“If everything was in cans or bottles, that might be different,” Dr. Detwiler said.

But with drinks in dispensers and pitchers at fast food chains and restaurants, “people don’t necessarily see the ingredients that are in some of those drinks, and so that becomes problematic.”

DailyMail.com used the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Recall Information Search and filtered for beverages recalled in 2024.

Tapee Tea was first recalled in August 2023, but in January it was classified as a Class I health hazard, meaning the product has a reasonable chance of causing “serious adverse health effects or death” if consumed. cause, according to the FDA.

Samples of the tea, made by Kentucky-based The Wiedemann Company and marketed for pain relief, were analyzed by the FDA and found to contain the drugs dexamethasone and piroxicam, which were not listed on the label.

Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid often used to treat inflammatory conditions, but it can decrease an individual’s ability to fight infections and can cause high blood sugar levels, muscle injuries, and psychiatric problems.

The drug can also cause serious side effects when combined with other medications, especially because the consumer does not know they are taking it.

Piroxicam is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that may increase the risk of heart problems, such as heart attack or stroke, as well as bleeding, ulcers, and fatal perforation of the stomach and intestines.

In April, New York-based PepsiCo recalled some sugar-free and caffeine-free Schweppes Zero Sugar Ginger Ale after internal research showed that it did indeed contain whole sugar.

Customers who purchased the product were advised to throw it away, especially if they needed to monitor their blood sugar levels, such as diabetics.

PepsiCo recalled some sugar-free and caffeine-free Schweppes Zero Sugar Ginger Ales on March 9 because they contain “whole sugar,” the FDA said

The FDA announced that New York-based PepsiCo has voluntarily recalled more than 2,000 cases of its Mug Root Beer because the cans actually contained Mug Zero Sugar root beer

This was considered a Class II problem, meaning the product is ‘unlikely to cause adverse health effects’.

Just a week later, PepsiCo had to recall another drink due to a similar sugar mix.

The company has voluntarily recalled more than 2,000 cases of Mug Root Beer because the cans actually contain Mug Zero Sugar root beer.

Meanwhile, nearly 25,000 cases of Martinelli’s apple juice were also recalled in April due to elevated levels of inorganic arsenic.

According to the FDA, S. Martinelli & Company has voluntarily recalled 24,500 cases – containing 147,100 bottles – of its Gold Medal Apple Juice, sold in one-liter glass bottles.

Arsenic, a metal found naturally in the Earth’s crust, is used in pesticides and in processes such as cement production.

Inorganic arsenic compounds, such as the kind found in water, are highly toxic, while organic compounds, such as the type found in seafood, are less harmful.

Repeated exposure to inorganic arsenic can damage DNA, weaken the immune system and… lead to the formation of cancer cells, but also to high blood pressure and heart disease.

Arsenic can leach into food when used by farmers as a pesticide and fertilizer, and is a known carcinogen.

Chronic exposure has been linked to an increased risk of bladder and skin cancer, as well as cancers of the lungs, digestive tract, liver, kidneys and lymphatic system.

More than a million cans of Enfamil Nutramigen Hypoallergenic Infant Formula Powder were pulled from shelves because they were suspected of being contaminated with the bacteria Cronobacter sakazakii

Beverage companies that sell nationally want to provide customers with a consistent taste and color experience, but regulations for certain ingredients vary from state to state.

What ends up happening is that “drink consistency, taste and experience are prioritized over food safety,” Dr. Detwiler to this website.

Sometimes beverage companies themselves do not understand the requirements properly.

“Sometimes it’s like we met the requirements when we sold it in this state, but then when we started selling it to other states… we didn’t realize the regulatory implications of selling it across state lines ‘, he says. added.

The FDA has also recalled several infant formulas.

An infant formula powder made by Mead Johnson & Company was recalled over concerns that it was contaminated with a bacteria that could cause life-threatening health complications in infants.

Over 1 million cans of Enfamil Nutramigen Hypoallergenic Infant Formula Powder – a baby food made for infants with a cow’s milk allergy – were removed from the shelves due to the possible presence of the bacterium Cronobacter sakazakii.

Cronobacter sakazakii is a bacterium that lives in dry places such as dairy milk, herbal teas, and powdered infant formula, and infections with the bacterium can cause brain swelling and seizures in infants.

Two goat’s milk products for toddlers from Californian company Sammy’s Milk were recalled in April due to misleading claims on the company’s website and social media.

The company claimed that the product was safe for use as a sole source of nutrition very young children.

But goat’s milk toddler formula is not recommended for babies under 12 months, due to its excessive protein content and possible strain on the child’s kidneys.

It also lacks enough essential nutrients that babies need for tissue and brain development and growth.