The Reason 10,000 Cans Of Coca-Cola Have Been Recalled

Midwestern Coca-Cola fans should check their recent purchases. The beverage behemoth recently issued a recall on over 10,000 12-ounce cans of Coca-Cola Original Taste due to potential plastic contamination. The affected cans, which were sold in Wisconsin and Illinois, were bottled at Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling in Milwaukee and feature the date code SEP2925MDA and UPCs 0 49000-02890 4 (for 12-packs) and 0 49000-00634 6 (for single cans).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified it as a class II recall on Monday, March 24, after the brand originally initiated the recall on March 6. According to the FDA, class II recalls are reserved for situations with potential for "temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences" or the "remote" possibility of more serious health complications. While foreign objects aren't typically deadly, they could cause problems like choking or internal bleeding. If you were injured by a foreign object in your food, you might have grounds to sue — especially if the object was unexpected, like a piece of plastic in your Coke.

Coca-Cola hasn't issued a press release on the matter, but the FDA website notes that the brand issued the recall voluntarily. Since there's no press release, there's no word as to whether or not customers will be compensated. However, companies generally request that customers return the recalled product to the store for a refund. Alternatively, you can dispose of the recalled items in a safe spot (where others won't find and consume them).

Realistically, the scope is pretty small: The recall only affects 864 12-packs of the soda. However, food recalls have surged in recent years. While the uptick in recalls is partially thanks to updates in pathogen-detection technology (a large part of how food recalls are discovered), new tech doesn't explain foreign object recalls — like Coke's plastic recall or Target's recent recall on canned green beans. Those may be the result of laxer COVID-era policies.

If you find a foreign object in your food, report it to the government. Meat and poultry complaints go to the US Department of Agriculture; everything else goes to the FDA. If you're concerned about future food recalls, you can sign up for email updates. Stay safe, and always follow instructions for recalled food.