PepsiCo Recalls That Affected Millions

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6 days ago

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The history of PepsiCo can be traced back to 1893, when a pharmacist named Caleb Bradham combined sugar, vanilla, and kola nuts -- purported to improve digestion -- to create Brad's Drink. The beverage was renamed Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and the company later merged with Loft, with the entity changing its name to the Pepsi-Cola Company. In 1965, the Pepsi-Cola Company merged with Frito-Lay, pushing into the food business. Over the following decades, the Pepsi-Cola Company -- which became PepsiCo -- acquired numerous brands, including Tropicana, Quaker Oats, and Mug Root Beer.
Today, there is no doubt that PepsiCo is a global powerhouse. Customers consume over 1 billion PepsiCo products each day in more than 200 countries (via PepsiCo). Nevertheless, even industry giants sometimes make mistakes. Over the years, PepsiCo has faced several large-scale recalls that hit the headlines and left customers rushing to return potentially dangerous products. Interested in finding out more about some of PepsiCo's biggest blunders? Here's our roundup of the company's most notorious product recalls.
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Undeclared allergens are one of the most common reasons for product recalls. Even trace amounts of a certain ingredient can pose serious health issues for allergic individuals. This is precisely what happened at the end of 2024, when PepsiCo pulled Lay's Classic Potato Chips off the market. The company took action after a customer raised an alarm about the potential presence of milk -- one of the nine major food allergens, alongside fish, eggs, shellfish, wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, soybeans, and sesame -- in the chips.
The Classic Potato Chips, which hit the market on November 3, had been distributed in Oregon and Washington. At the end of January, the FDA gave the Frito-Lay Classic Potato Chips recall a Class I rating, indicating the serious nature of the incident. A Class I recall involves "a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death" (via the FDA). At the end of the day, 6,344 bags of the product were withdrawn from the market. Fortunately, no allergic reactions were linked to the product at the time.
PepsiCo acquired Mug Root Beer from the New Century Beverage Company in 1986 as a replacement for its On-Tap Draft Style Root Beer. Despite its popularity, Mug Root Beer hasn't been immune to controversy. The creamy drink, known for its signature bulldog mascot named Dog, came under scrutiny in April 2024 after a labeling mishap.
Aside from offering standard Mug Root Beer, PepsiCo also manufactures zero-sugar versions of the soft drink to cater to health-conscious consumers. In the April incident, some batches of sugar-free Mug Root Beer were accidentally labeled as the version containing sugar. The recall ultimately affected around 2,800 cases, equating to over 33,000 cans of the product. The soft drink was sold in 12-pack cases across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Notably, PepsiCo faced a very similar recall just two weeks earlier, when it had to pull 233 cases, or 5,592 cans, of Schweppes Ginger Ale. Just like Mug Root Beer, the product had been mislabeled. This time, however, PepsiCo's Zero Sugar Ginger Ale was found to contain the full-sugar version of the soft drink. This mishap was particularly concerning for diabetics or those watching their blood sugar levels who rely on accurate labeling when making dietary choices. Luckily, no illnesses were reported at the time of the recall.
Dating all the way back to 1877, Quaker Oats is one of the most recognizable breakfast brands in the U.S. It certainly didn't hurt the company's business when it merged with PepsiCo in 2001, creating a $25 billion food and beverage empire. Today, the brand's products can be found in 70% of American households (via Quaker Oats).
Unfortunately, experience and longevity don't always equate to mishap-free operations, as demonstrated in December 2023, when PepsiCo recalled its Quaker Oats granola bars, cereals, and snacks. More specifically, the company pulled more than 40 products, including Quaker Big Chewy Bars Chocolate Chip, Quaker Puffed Granola Apple Cinnamon Cereal, and Quaker Chocolatey Favorites Snack Mix. The recall was expanded to encompass even more products in January 2024. The products had been distributed throughout the U.S., as well as Puerto Rico, Guam, and Saipan.
The reason for the recall was very serious -- a potential salmonella contamination. Salmonella is a pathogen that can lead to diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain. The bacteria can be particularly dangerous, even fatal, for children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immunity. The contamination was traced back to a factory in Danville, Illinois, with FDA investigators identifying serious lapses in sanitation. The plant was permanently closed by June 2024.
Tostitos are a popular corn snack typically served with salsa, queso, or creamy guacamole. Produced by Frito-Lay -- one of the many brands under PepsiCo's umbrella -- the snack comes in a range of flavors, including multigrain, chile lime, and salsa verde. Frito-Lay also offers a range of dips, such as creamy spinach, chunky salsa, and nacho cheese. Unfortunately, in 2023, Frito-Lay's Tostitos Avocado Salsa Dip drew public attention for the presence of undeclared milk.
The affected product came with two labels. While the front of the glass jar correctly identified the product as Tostitos Avocado Salsa, the back label featured the nutrition information of another product. The mislabeled jars failed to list milk as one of the ingredients in the salsa, creating a potentially dangerous situation for individuals allergic to dairy.
Due to the seriousness of the blunder, the FDA gave the recall a Class I rating, the highest classification only allocated to products that may pose a high risk to consumers. The recall affected 94,668 pounds of the dip, which had been distributed nationwide. Luckily, no allergic reactions came to light at the time of the recall.
While PepsiCo and Starbucks are not part of the same company, they have been collaborating since 1994 through the North American Coffee Partnership. This joint venture allows PepsiCo to produce and distribute Starbucks products, including bottled coffee beverages. In 2023, PepsiCo announced a recall of 25,200 cases -- or 302,400 bottles -- of one of these products due to concerns over potential glass contamination.
Bottles of Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino weren't sold at Starbucks outlets, but could be purchased at several retail stores nationwide, including Target, Walmart, Amazon, and Safeway. The FDA assigned the recall a Class II rating, indicating that its consumption could result in "temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences" where "the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote." Although the source of the glass contamination was not disclosed to the public, it may have been linked to the manufacturing process of the glass bottles.
One of the many Starbucks products manufactured by PepsiCo was the subject of a significant recall in August 2022. More specifically, the extra-strength, ready-to-drink coffee beverage, Starbucks French Vanilla Espresso Tripleshot, was pulled from shelves due to concerns that metal fragments may have accidentally made their way into the product during the manufacturing process.
Coffee cans had been distributed in seven states, including Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Overall, PepsiCo recalled 221 cases of the caffeinated Starbucks beverage, amounting to 2,652 individual cans. The risk of injury associated with consuming the product was very real, with metal posing the potential for both choking and dental damage. Fortunately, no adverse incidents had been reported at the time of the recall, which ended in November of that same year.
In late 2021 and early 2022, PepsiCo started recalling another product under its North American Coffee Partnership with Starbucks. This time, the voluntary recall impacted its Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso drinks. The canned beverage came in packs of four 6.5-ounce cans. Sold in grocery stores, the coffee drink was flagged over concerns about a potential defect in the can seals.
While packaging issues may not seem as dramatic as, say, metal or glass fragments, a compromised seal can expose a product to harmful bacteria. A faulty closure can lead to spoilage, posing a serious health risk to consumers. The recall affected three different product variants: Espresso & Cream, Espresso & Light Cream, and Espresso & Salted Caramel Cream.
In total, more than 250,000 cases of the coffee beverage were pulled from grocery store shelves. The Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso cans were distributed nationwide, which compounded the scope of the problem.
Frito-Lay offers a variety of dips that pair well with its Ruffles chips, including Lay's French Onion Dip and Lay's Smooth Ranch Dip. Notably, the products are sold under the Ruffles label in Canada. In May 2020, amid widespread disruptions caused by COVID-19, Frito-Lay recalled the dips sold in the U.S. and Canada due to concerns about potential spoilage and mold contamination.
Luckily, no reports of adverse health effects were linked to either product at the time, with the recall carried out as a precautionary measure. Despite the absence of reported illnesses, the Frito-Lay dip recall was one of the biggest in PepsiCo's history. In total, the company had to pull a staggering 6,344,323 jars of the products. The recall was designated as Class II, suggesting a moderate risk level. More specifically, the dips could have led to temporary or easily resolved health issues, with an unlikely risk of severe consequences.
Founded in 1986, Sabra Dipping Company specializes in Middle Eastern-style spreads, such as hummus and guacamole, as well as other ready-to-eat snacks. While PepsiCo acquired full ownership of the brand in 2024, Sabra was technically a joint venture between PepsiCo and the Strauss Group when this recall occurred in 2015 and 2016.
Sabra Classic Hummus came under the microscope in 2015 after routine testing at a Michigan store in March revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. All in all, 30,000 cases of hummus products were withdrawn from the market nationwide in an attempt to prevent a listeriosis outbreak. The recall was later expanded in 2016 to cover 57 varieties of hummus.
People exposed to listeria often suffer symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, and headaches. Additionally, listeriosis (the illness contracted from the bacteria) can lead to serious complications in certain individuals, including children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with a compromised immune system. Fortunately, no cases of the infection were associated with the product at the time.
Introduced by Frito-Lay in 1991, SunChips were PepsiCo's response to a growing preference for healthy foods among consumers. The multigrain snack paired the appeal of chips with the perceived nutritional benefits of whole grains. The initial lineup of SunChips flavors included Original, Harvest Cheddar, French Onion, Chili Lime, Garden Salsa, and Sweet & Spicy BBQ. Over the years, SunChips launched other flavors such as Sweet Potato & Brown Sugar, Tomato, Basil & Cheese, and 6 Grain Medley Creamy Roasted Garlic.
In 2013, PepsiCo recalled the 6 Grain Medley Creamy Roasted Garlic variety of SunChips due to concerns about potential contamination with metal fragments. More specifically, the contamination was traced back to wire mesh from a defective screen at Dakota Specialty Milling, which supplies flours and grain blends. In total, PepsiCo ended up recalling 13,812 cases of 6 Grain Medley Creamy Roasted Garlic SunChips from grocery stores nationwide. At the end of the day, the contaminated flour and grain resulted in additional recalls that covered products such as BelVita breakfast biscuits, Heartland granola cereals, and Wegmans bread.
Peanut butter is a staple for many children, taking center stage in popular snacks such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. As such, it's little surprise that the spread also appears in several grocery store snack products. One such offering is Grandma's Sandwich Creme Peanut Butter Cookies, a snack that offers a layer of smooth peanut butter nestled between two crunchy cookies.
In 2012, Frito-Lay announced a nationwide recall of the aforementioned cookies due to the presence of two undeclared allergens: milk and eggs. Both ingredients appear on the FDA's list of the nine major food allergens, making it crucial that they are disclosed on product labels.
While symptoms of food allergies can vary, they normally develop between a few minutes and up to two hours after consuming the allergen. They can include vomiting, diarrhea, wheezing, dizziness, hives, and rashes. At its most severe, an allergic reaction can even prove fatal. Fortunately, no known health incidents were associated with the consumption of the sandwich cookies at the time the recall was reported.
Unlike the majority of product safety alerts, which are typically sparked by the likes of contamination, defects, or undeclared allergens, the recall of Slice in 1986 presented an entirely different scenario. The now-discontinued lemon lime PepsiCo soda was recalled after an anonymous threat of cyanide contamination.
More specifically, PepsiCo pulled the product from supermarket shelves in New York City and Westchester County after the 911 emergency service received a call from a man who claimed that he had contaminated drinks with cyanide. Ingesting the toxin can lead to symptoms such as nausea, headache, and breathing difficulties, and it is often fatal.
In a somewhat bizarre twist, the 911 caller pinpointed the specific lot number associated with the laced products. While the number didn't specifically correlate with any beverages, it was close enough to 66,000 plastic bottles of Lemon Lime Slice to spark a recall. No cases of cyanide poisoning were ever linked to the Slice soda. As a spokesperson for the state Health Department, Peter Slocum, said at the time, "We have no evidence of contamination yet. This may just be somebody who's getting a thrill out of watching everybody scramble around" (via UPI). The president of Pepsi Bottling Co. in New York, Charles Thomas, agreed with this assessment, stating, "This is a crank call that came through to the police department, but we're doing everything we can to take the product off the street."
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