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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
PepsiCo Recalls That Affected Millions
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. 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. Read more: Once Popular Ice Cream Flavors You Hardly Ever See Anymore 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 At the end of the day, 6,344 bags of the product were withdrawn from the market.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." For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout's newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more! Read the original article on The Takeout.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Biggest Recalls In PepsiCo History
PepsiCo makes a lot more than just soda. This probably isn't news to you, but if it is, the cola giant owns nearly two dozen food and drink brands, including Starbucks bottled beverages and Quaker Oats. When a parent brand churns out as many different products as PepsiCo does, major recalls are bound to happen. Some of PepsiCo's recalls have been so big, they left lasting impacts on the food and beverage industry. Pepsi-Cola, as it was originally known, has been around since 1898. It spent the first half of the 20th century trying to keep up with its ultimate competitor: Coca-Cola. After a 1965 merger with chip king Frito-Lay, Pepsi officially became PepsiCo. The move helped Pepsi gain a foothold in the prepackaged snack space and has held steady ever since. The amount of PepsiCo recalls isn't excessive for a company of its size, but the frequency of recalls in the food and cosmetics industry has increased between 20 to 25% in the last three years, making PepsiCo vulnerable. These are the biggest recalls the company has had to face in its long and prominent history. Read more: Soda Myths You Probably Believed In 2024, labeling errors accounted for almost half of the food recalls in the U.S. PepsiCo's Mug Root Beer was part of that statistic. The company announced a voluntary recall for 12-pack cans of Mug in March 2024 because what was actually in those cans was Mug Zero Sugar. The mislabeled 12-packs were distributed in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The FDA terminated the recall one month later, after a total of 2,801 cases of Mug Root Beer were pulled from circulation. That's 33,612 cans of root beer. Adding insult to injury was the fact that PepsiCo had to recall its Schweppes Ginger Ale in a nearly identical mixup two weeks before recalling Mug. In the Schweppes scenario, 5,592 cans, packed in 24-count cases were labeled as Zero Sugar Ginger Ale but contained the full-sugar version. Both situations posed a particular risk to soda consumers who need to monitor their blood sugar. The 2024 labeling mishap wasn't the first time Mug was on the FDA's bad side. In 2003, PepsiCo had to recall cans of Mug that came from a bottling plant in Burnsville, Minnesota. Why? It was a similar story. The Mug Diet Root Beer cans were filled with full-sugar soda. When PepsiCo acquired the Quaker Oats brand in 2001 in a $13.8 billion deal, it took on a centuries-old heritage brand so large, the deal required clearance from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). At the time, PepsiCo was willing to spend big on Quaker just to acquire Gatorade, which held 80% of the sports drink market. Along with Gatorade came Quaker's scroll of cereal products. Two decades later, some of those cereal products would wind up contributing to one of the most epic recalls in PepsiCo's history. On December 15, 2023, Quaker recalled approximately 40 products, primarily granola bars, granola cereal, and snack packs, because they were potentially tainted with salmonella bacteria. By January 11, 2024, the recall was expanded to include more granola bar flavors, Cap'n Crunch cereal bars, Quaker and Cap'n Crunch breakfast cereal, Gatorade Protein Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars, and other snack mixes. When the recall expanded a second time on January 31, 2024 it affected more than 60 products. All of the at-risk inventory came from a PepsiCo manufacturing plant in Danville, Illinois. When the FDA inspected the Danville plant, Salmonella Cubana was found in multiple places throughout the plant. The inspectors also observed an unsanitary environment rife with health code violations. The Quaker recalls caused a volume loss of around 22%, and PepsiCo was not pleased. By June of 2024, PepsiCo shut the Danville plant down for good. Tostitos is typically a source of pride and joy for Frito-Lay, and in turn, PepsiCo. That wasn't the case in June 2023 when the Tostitos Avocado Salsa Dip was recalled en masse. Avocado Salsa (which is basically jarred guacamole) was one of the newer varieties in Tostitos' dip arsenal — it debuted in February 2020 — and people were into it. The troubling recall, which was triggered by an undeclared allergen, was a threat to Avocado Salsa's nascent existence. Fans of the Tostitos Avocado Salsa loved that it was both creamy and full of veggies. According to the ingredients list on the back of the jar, that creaminess wasn't supposed to be brought to you by dairy milk ... but it was. During production, thousands of Avocado Salsa jars were fitted with a nutritional back label intended for a different type of Tostitos dip. This made the ingredients list on the Avocado Salsa jars completely inaccurate. The mislabeled jars did not list milk as an ingredient, thereby posing a major health risk to consumers with dairy allergies or sensitivities. If someone with a severe milk allergy consumes dairy, it could cause anaphylaxis, an allergic reaction that restricts the body's airways and can cause death. In view of this risk, the FDA wasn't playing around and designated the Tostitos recall as Class I. When the recall was initiated, the mislabeled Avocado Salsa had been in stores nationwide for two months. The recall quantity accounted for 94,668 pounds of Avocado Salsa. PepsiCo has been bottling coffee drinks for Starbucks since 1994, when the two corporations teamed up to form the North American Coffee Partnership (NACP). The deal helped Starbucks break into the retail drink market in a major way and brought in a ton of business for PepsiCo. Since PepsiCo owns several industrial plants in the U.S., it was responsible for bottling and canning the coffee drinks. In January 2023, quality control issues on PepsiCo's end triggered a massive recall of Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino bottled coffee after pieces of glass were found inside some bottles. The Class II recall made 25,200 cases of Vanilla Frappuccino bottled coffee unfit for consumption — that's equivalent to 302,400 bottles. The FDA didn't terminate the recall until July 20, 2023. PepsiCo kept a tight-lipped stance on the recall details. How the glass pieces found their way into over 300,000 bottles of product was never reported, and no injuries associated with the foreign contaminant were disclosed either. In February 2023, PepsiCo gave a statement to The Independent saying the company would "always act with an abundance of caution whenever a potential concern is raised." In 2024, PepsiCo announced it was shuttering four of its bottling plants. The decision resulted in hundreds of employees losing their jobs. It's unclear whether the Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino bottled coffee catastrophe was partly a catalyst for the closures. With PepsiCo's help, Starbucks has developed a lot of successful bottled and canned coffee drinks, but the production process of said beverages has had its share of problems. An August 2022 recall for Starbucks French Vanilla Espresso Tripleshot was one of those times. PepsiCo announced a recall for the 15-ounce cans because there was a chance that metal fragments had gotten inside. Potentially afflicted cans of Starbucks French Vanilla Espresso Tripleshot were pulled from the market in Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. In total, PepsiCo recalled 221 cases of Starbucks French Vanilla Espresso Tripleshot, or 2,652 cans. The FDA gave the recall a Class II designation due to the significant risk of choking or dental injury that might occur from drinking metal fragments. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries associated with the recall. The recall was terminated on November 8, 2022, but for PepsiCo and Starbucks, poor performance on the production line was becoming a repeat problem. Starbucks and PepsiCo have a seemingly unbreakable bond operating as NACP, but this power couple has its flaws. In September 2021, the partnership initiated a mammoth recall for three varieties of Starbucks' popular Doubleshot Espresso cans. The cans were recalled due to a sealing defect that made the product vulnerable to premature spoilage. The quality issue affected 6.5-ounce cans of Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso and Cream, Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso and Light Cream, and Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso and Salted Caramel Cream. A single lot of each Doubleshot variety was recalled, and each one included 85,956 cases. In all, 257,868 Doubleshot cases were taken off the market as part of the massive recall. The Doubleshot cans were sold nationwide. All consumers who purchased the compromised product were encouraged to return it to the place of purchase for a refund. Considering the sheer volume of Doubleshot cans recalled, it was a stroke of luck for Starbucks and PepsiCo that there were no reported illnesses linked to this recall. To this day, it remains the biggest recall in NACP's history. In the spring of 2020, worldwide lockdowns caused by COVID-19 reminded us how essential grocery stores really are — they remained open all throughout the pandemic. At a time when consumers were relying on store-bought food more than ever, PepsiCo suffered one of the biggest product recalls in its history. On May 4, 2020 Frito-Lay recalled multiple varieties of Ranch Dip and Onion Dip sold under the Lay's and Ruffles brands due to mold contamination. The Class II recall quantity totaled 6,344,323 pounds. The potentially moldy jars of Lay's Smooth Ranch Dip and French Onion Dip were sold in the U.S. The recalled jars of Ruffles Ranch Dip and Onion Dip were sold in Canada. The production numbers involved were huge. For the Lay's Smooth Ranch Dip alone, a total of 2,997,108 jars were implicated in the recall. Despite the recall's staggering weight, PepsiCo didn't issue a press release detailing the situation. Since PepsiCo (and the FDA for that matter) kept the issue discrete and no cases of mold sickness were reported, there was little to no media coverage about it. At the time, tense grocery shopping trips marked by long lines and low stock were the expectation, so many shoppers may have assumed the dips' absence was COVID-related. Either way, PepsiCo was able to scrap a behemoth amount of dip from store shelves and hardly anyone noticed. When an April 2019 recall pulled a huge amount of Diet Pepsi from circulation, the loyalty of PepsiCo's sugar-free cola drinkers was tested. The recall pertained to mislabeled Diet Pepsi cans. While the outer packaging indicated that the Diet Pepsi contains Aspartame, the cans themselves were labeled Aspartame-free. Six-packs, 12-packs, 20-packs, 24-packs, and 36-packs of Diet Pepsi were subject to the recall. Before the error was caught, 9,214 cases of mislabeled Diet Pepsi were shipped to Southern California with intent for larger distribution. Selling the inconsistently labeled cans would have undoubtedly caused confusion amongst consumers (at least for those who read both packaging labels), but that wasn't the only reason for PepsiCo's recall. Federal law requires food and beverage manufacturers to list all the ingredients it adds to products sold to the public. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener commonly added to diet sodas and some people purposely avoid it. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has said there is limited evidence that aspartame causes cancer in humans, the popular sugar substitute has been beleaguered by its carcinogen reputation for decades. Aspartame's inclusion in sugar-free foods and drinks has been the subject of many class action lawsuits — including one against Diet Pepsi in 2017. Consumers with a rare congenital disorder called phenylketonuria (PKU) are more acutely vulnerable to accidental aspartame consumption. PKU prevents the body from breaking down phenylalanine, an amino acid in aspartame, significantly increasing the risk of phenylalanine toxicity. Zesty, wavy, and multigrain, Frito-Lay's SunChips have long occupied an enviable niche in the uber-competitive chip business. SunChips debuted in 1991 and have enjoyed a solid fan base ever since. Years of brand trust allowed SunChips to expand its flavor portfolio, and in 2012, it introduced Six Grain Medley Creamy Roasted Garlic. The six grains present were corn, wheat, oats, brown rice, buckwheat, and quinoa. The SunChips Six Grain medley chips also came in a Parmesan and Herb flavor. By February 2013, the Creamy Roasted Garlic version of Six Grain Medley SunChips was recalled, but the recall was still pretty huge. Frito-Lay recalled the Creamy Roasted Garlic SunChips over concerns that they were contaminated with pieces of metal mesh. The voluntary recall resulted in 13,812 cases being withdrawn from the retail market. The suspicious Six Grain Medley Creamy Roasted Garlic SunChips were sold in grocery stores, food service establishments, and vending machines nationwide. The metal mesh ordeal wasn't just Frito-Lay's cross to bear. The SunChips recall was part of a larger recall that stemmed from Dakota Specialty Milling, Frito Lay's grain supplier. Dakota Milling announced a recall on February 14, 2013 of its specialty flour and grain blends because metal mesh had contaminated their manufacturing process. The mesh came from a defective metal screen that was present on the production line. The foreign contaminant was responsible for nine secondary recalls, Frito-Lay's among them. Frito-Lay is the current owner of Grandma's cookies, but the company was originally established in 1914. With more than a century of cookie-baking under its belt, Grandma's knows its way around the most classic flavors: chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin and the like. Grandma's is no stranger to sandwich cookies either, Sandwich Creme Vanilla and Sandwich Creme Peanut Butter Cookies have been part of the brand's repertoire for years. In November 2012, Grandma's Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies were at the center of a big recall for undeclared ingredients. Packages of Grandma's Sandwich Creme Peanut Butter Cookies and Peanut Butter Mini Sandwich Cremes Cookies were named in the recall. None of Grandma's other cookie flavors were affected. The FDA categorizes milk and egg as major allergens and requires all pre-packaged food and drink items that use these ingredients to print an allergen warning on the label. The labeling error that prompted the recall affected 156,462 pounds of Grandma's Sandwich Creme Peanut Butter Cookies nationwide. Peanut Butter Mini Sandwich Cremes Cookies are no longer available to purchase. In the 20th century, food and drink recalls were nowhere near as frequent as they are now, so when they did happen, it rarely escaped public notice. The lead-up to PepsiCo's Lemon Lime Slice recall in 1986 was equal parts alarming and bizarre. Soda drinkers in the New York City metropolitan area were on high alert that July after an anonymous male called 911 and informed police that he had contaminated Pepsi bottles with cyanide. The caller even disclosed the lot number for the products that were targeted. Seeing as the caller's description of "Pepsi bottles" was vague, authorities honed in on the lot number information. The lot that matched the number the closest implicated 66,000 bottles of Lemon Lime Slice. All of them were recalled. Charles Thomas, who was vice-president of Pepsi-Cola at the time issued a statement to the New York Times, assuring that ''about 7,000 of the 11,000 cases are under lock and key.'' The precaution proved to be a crucial one. No known cyanide poisonings occurred after the threat was made. That same year, PepsiCo acquired lemon-lime soda brand 7UP and Lemon Lime Slice faded into obscurity. "Grandma, tell me about when 2-liter glass bottles of Pepsi used to explode into people's faces and necks," isn't an oft-requested nostalgic tale -- but it did happen in the '70s. Back then, Pepsi began enhancing the volume of its bottles to meet consumer demand. Two-liter bottles were a common sight at grocery stores toward the late 1970s, but they were made of glass and shattered without warning. The large glass soda bottles couldn't withstand the pressure created by the soda's carbonation, so they exploded. Two-liter Pepsi bottles were the first to be introduced in the U.S. in 1978, and they were part of the problem. A high profile case in Canada kickstarted the recall of plus-sized glass soda bottles. A 3-year-old boy got caught in the crossfire of a soda explosion and was permanently blinded in one eye. Following the incident, a Canadian engineer named David Barham began studying large soda bottles from various brands. He observed that more often than not, the bottles burst if tipped over. Barham's findings led to a recommendation that 1.5-liter and 2-liter soda bottles be recalled. When the Canadian Soft Drink Association gave pushback, Barham went on national television and demonstrated how easily the bottles exploded when gently knocked over. Public outcry from disturbed viewers ultimately pushed the government to issue a recall. In the Toronto area alone, 50,000 cases were pulled from shelves. A permanent solution was ushered out soon after. The bottles became plastic. Read the original article on Mashed.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Free Mug Root Beer! UConn Huskies are the last dogs standing, unlock free soda
Free Mug Root Beer! UConn Huskies are the last dogs standing, unlock free soda The National Champs just keep winning, this time, for all of America. Mug Root Beer has announced that it will be providing free soda for the entire country following UConn's National Championship victory over South Carolina. Advertisement This comes following an ad campaign, with 11 dog-mascot teams in the NCAA Women's basketball with themed Mug cans. 'MUG stayed true to its word to unleash free root beer for all of America once again. " Those who'd like to get in on the free root beer can either text 'MUG25″ to 737-377-3774 starting April 7 at midnight ET through April 18 or check out Mug Root Beer on social media. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
