FDA Issues Nationwide Bottled Water Recall

Over 1.9 millions of bottles were impacted.

May 28 2024, Published 4:58 p.m. ET Storage Household Plastic Container

FDA Issues Nationwide Bottled Water Recall — Details Here

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers of possible issues after bottled water tested positive for concerning levels of contaminants by way of a voluntary recall. The FDA's recall includes bottles that have been sold nationwide, and it warns consumers of what might be included in the nearly two million bottles of water listed for sale at the start of 2024.

Continue reading to learn which bottles were impacted, and what you need to do if you've purchased some of the recalled products.

The FDA announced the recall of 1.9 million bottles of Fiji's Natural Artesian Water (which included 78,000 cases). According to Fox 4 News, the voluntary recall was made due to three different bacterial genera and the presence of manganese. The water had been sent to Washington state to be distributed nationally through Amazon's online store before the contamination concerns were noted.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ingesting manganese isn't harmful in small doses, and it's actually essential to maintaining a healthy diet. That said, too much manganese can be a bad thing, as the CDC notes it can cause brain damage when consumed in excess.

There doesn't appear to be any further details on which bacterial genera were uncovered, but these, too, are normally non-toxic, according to the Healthdirect blog.

Two months after issuing the initial recall, the FDA amended its statement and changed the classification level to Class III to reflect the lower risk associated with this recall. Worried consumers should be aware that the recalled water was listed as Fiji Natural Artesian Water, which was sold in a 24-pack of 500 mL bottles. The UPC Code on the bottom of the case is 6 32565 00004 3, and the code on the bottles is 6 32565 0001 2.

Those water bottles would've been purchased from Amazon between February 1, 2024 and March 3, 2024 that have PRD dates of November 11-13, 2023 and November 24-25, 2023.

While the company's water is still under a recall, a representative from Fox 4 News stated that nearly all of the water included in this recall had been returned to Fiji as of May 26, 2024, and that the bottled water that had not yet been returned remains in warehouses awaiting shipment, indicating a lower risk to consumers who may be worried about being in possession of the recalled items.

A post shared by FIJI Water (@fijiwater)

Fiji also responded to separate concerns on X, formerly known as Twitter, noting that they had been aware of some customer complaints about discolored water, according to Newsweek.

The post went on to attempt to clarify a statement made by Amazon, saying that the initial notice that had been sent by the online retailer wasn't an accurate representation of the issue, noting that the FDA recall update had to do with the issue from March, while the complaints with the discoloration of the water was more of a quality issue.

As for now, Fiji insists that there are no risks associated with their water and that it's still safe to "buy and consume."

Bottled water contributes to plastic pollution, so if you're worried, we'd advise checking out a reusable water bottle instead.

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FDA Issues Nationwide Bottled Water Recall — Details Here