Nearly 2,000 cases of Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi recalled

C. A. Bridges and Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
Updated ·3 min read

UPDATE: Check your lot numbers

If you bought any Diet Coke, Sprite or Fanta Orange in the last few months, check your cans. Coca-Cola is recalling nearly 2,000 cases due to possible "foreign material."

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the voluntary recall was initiated on Nov. 6 by the bottling company United Packers, LLC, also known as Coca-Cola UNITED, based in Mobile, Alabama. The affected cases of soda, all 12-packs of 12-oz. aluminum cans, were distributed in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, the agency said.

Coca-Cola Beverages Florida LLC, the bottler that exclusively manufactures and distributes Coca-Cola products throughout most of Florida, issued a release Thursday afternoon explaining that the only Florida stores to receive the recalled cases were from Coca-Cola UNITED in Alabama, which only distributes to part of the Panhandle.

"Coca-Cola UNITED voluntarily recalled a limited quantity of Fanta Orange, Sprite and Diet Coke in a total of 48 stores in the following Coca-Cola UNITED markets: Valparaiso, FL; Robertsdale and Mobile, AL; Gulfport and Ocean Springs, MS.," the release said.

Coca-Cola UNITED has confirmed that none of the recalled cases remain in the market, the release said, and all recall activities are complete.

"The Coca-Cola system takes the safety of all products seriously and Coca-Cola UNITED has taken every step to ensure the identified products have been removed from the Florida Panhandle market," the release said.

What was in the Diet Coke, Sprite or Fanta Orange cans?

Unclear. The recall only says "potential foreign material."

The recall was classified as a Class II recall by the FDA, which means a situation where a “violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.”

Which Diet Coke, Sprite or Fanta Orange products are affected by the recall?

A case of 12 oz cans of Sprite purchased in Volusia County has the same UPC number and best-by date as the recalled products, but it's not the same as the ones with possible "foreign material," according to Coca-Cola Florida LLC.
A case of 12 oz cans of Sprite purchased in Volusia County has the same UPC number and best-by date as the recalled products, but it's not the same as the ones with possible "foreign material," according to Coca-Cola Florida LLC.

The products were all 12 oz cans packaged in 12-can fridge packs.

The UPC numbers, best-by dates and lot numbers for the affected items are as follows:

  • Diet Coke: UPC: 49000028911; Best by: 01/29/24; Lot No. JAN2924MBD3

  • Fanta Orange: UPC: 49000030730; Best by: 07/29/24; Lot No. JUL2924MBD3

  • Sprite: UPC: 49000028928; Best by: 07/29/24; Lot No. JUL2924MBD3

Look for MBD3 in the lot number. Even if the UPC and date are the same, a different lot number means it came from somewhere besides Alabama and is not part of the recall.

How many cases of Diet Coke, Sprite or Fanta Orange cans were recalled?

  • Diet Coke: 417 cases

  • Fanta Orange: 14 cases

  • Sprite: 1,557 cases

What do I do if I have recalled Diet Coke, Sprite or Fanta Orange cans?

If you have any of the packages, even if you've opened them already, do not drink any of them. Throw them away or return them to where you bought them for a refund.

Has this happened to Coca-Cola before?

In 2021, Coca-Cola recalled nearly 10,000 cases of Minute Maid fruit drinks in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Maine and New Jersey due to "the potential of foreign objects, specifically metal bolts or washers."

Editor's note: Lot numbers of the recalled products added.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Coca-Cola recall: Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta cans recalled in Florida