Imagine buying a bottle of a ‘Zero Sugar’ drink, only to find that it contained the sugar you were trying to avoid. This is the driving factor behind PepsiCo’s recent recall of a batch of soft drinks.

PepsiCo is a brand that almost everyone has heard about. The extensive food and beverage company is global and has products almost everywhere. Their headquarters is in Purchase, New York, and there are hundreds of beaches around the world.
The history of the prestigious company dates as far back as 1898 when its founder, Caleb Bradham created a mix and sold it as Brad’s Drink.

Without a doubt, PepsiCo is one of the most popular food and beverage companies in the world. It is popular for producing and distributing some of America’s most favorable soft drinks, including Pepsi, 7UP, and Mountain Dew. Over the years, the company has evolved and expanded with variations of its original products. This includes a zero-sugar alternative for those who do not want a sugary drink.

PepsiCo gives a large variety of sugar-free alternatives on its beverages. However, there was a recent issue with Schweppes Ginger Ale, one of PepsiCo’s sugar-free alternatives. The product, which was supposed to be totally sugar-free was not. According to the results of an investigation by the company, ABC News revealed that PepsiCo recalled over 230 cases of the drink that they found to contain sugar.

The results of the internal investigation showed that many of the Ginger Ale cans which were labeled sugar-free for consumers actually contained a significant amount of sugar. Therefore, the company had no choice but to recall the affected cases immediately. As they were over 230 cases, it amounted to over 5,500 cans as reported by The Daily Mail.

Following the right procedure, PepsiCo immediately issued a recall in March when they discovered the mixup with the cans. They also notified the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). With their help, they are trying their best to get these cans back and to notify the general public. However, reports claim that they are still not sure how sugar ended up in so many cans.

So far, there have been no reported injuries as a result of the sugar-filled drinks. For a healthy person, the sugar in the drinks will do no damage as they are fine in moderate amounts. However, for those who have to control their sugar intake for health reasons, like those with diabetes, this can pose a significant risk to their body function.

It is very easy to identify if you are in possession of one of the affected cases or cans. This is simply by checking the code number on the back of the can. It would read MAY20240520VS02164-, or May 20 24.
If you realize you are in possession of a can, pack or case, you have the option of simply discarding it or returning it back to request a refund.

The recall of PepsiCo’s Ginger Ale cases is not the first of its kind this year. Therefore, it is causing a lot of worry for consumers as they begin to worry that there could be more deficient products around. Earlier in February, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo’s strong rival, announced a recall of their three variety packs of Powerade, a popular energy drink.

Coca-Cola announced the voluntary recall of Powerade packs on February 27th this year. According to a statement by the FDA, this was due to “the potential presence of a foreign metal object in the product, i.e., a stainless-steel ring.” Therefore, the company recalled a whopping total of 902 cases from the market. They also advised customers who had the affected products not to consume them and to follow protocol.

The affected Powerade products were already being sold across the country before they found out they were effective. There were large batches that were already shipped to Florida and South Carolina. Therefore, they were forced to stop delivering the products to their consumers. Powerade Zero Mixed Berry, Powerade Mountain Berry Blast, and Powerade Zero Fruit Punch are the affected products.

Almost 1,000 cases of Coca-Cola’s popular Powerade and Powerade zero-sugar variety packs were recalled in February and the recalls are still ongoing due to the large number. People who have gotten them before the recall are advised to return them and not drink them as they have been contaminated with a foreign metallic object.

On the other hand, PepsiCo’s recalled products are not contaminated. They are simply filled with sugar but labeled wrongly. Only people who have medical conditions that prevent them from having sugar are at real risk. Therefore, it is advisable for you to keep an eye out while enjoying any of these drinks to prevent consumption of the affected batches.