The FDA’s recent recall of Coca-Cola products in Illinois and Wisconsin highlights how even major brands face quality control challenges. Consumers should check their 12-ounce cans for the code SEP2925MDA, as plastic contamination poses potential health risks. While classified as Class II, meaning temporary issues rather than severe danger, the recall affects approximately 10,000 individual cans. What additional oversight might prevent such manufacturing errors in the future?
Voluntary Recall of Coca-Cola Cans Due to Plastic Contamination
While Coca-Cola remains one of America’s most trusted beverage brands, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling has recently issued a voluntary recall of specific 12-ounce cans due to potential plastic contamination. The Milwaukee-based bottling company initiated the recall on March 6, 2025, affecting products distributed throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. This precautionary measure targets Coca-Cola Original Taste cans with the UPC code 0 49000-00634 6 and pack UPC 0 49000-02890 4.
The FDA has classified this as a Class II recall, indicating possible temporary or reversible health consequences rather than severe or life-threatening risks. Consumers should specifically check for products with the date code SEP2925MDA that were produced between 11:00 and 12:53 local time. The FDA officially designated this as a Class II recall on March 24, following the initial company action. The affected cans bear the standard label noting they were “Canned Under Authority of the Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta, GA 30313.”
FDA designates this as Class II: temporary health concerns, not severe risks. Check date code SEP2925MDA from 11:00-12:53.
In total, approximately 864 twelve-packs—more than 10,000 individual cans—are involved in this recall. While most affected products have likely been pulled from store shelves already, consumers who purchased these items should exercise caution. The plastic fragments pose several health concerns, including potential choking hazards, oral injuries, and digestive discomfort. Symptoms such as throat discomfort or coughing after consumption may indicate exposure to the contaminated product.
Individuals who find they have purchased the affected products should not consume them. Instead, they can return the cans to their place of purchase for a refund or exchange. Children and those with swallowing difficulties face higher risks from the contamination, making proper identification of affected products particularly essential for families. The risks associated with this contamination are comparable to the health concerns raised by trans fats found in some pre-packaged foods like certain meatball brands.
This recall joins several recent instances of food and beverage contamination across the industry, highlighting the critical necessity of quality control measures. Unlike many condiments that contain natural preservatives that help maintain safety at room temperature, carbonated beverages like Coca-Cola rely primarily on proper manufacturing processes to ensure product safety. Reyes Coca-Cola’s voluntary action demonstrates the company’s commitment to consumer safety despite the relatively low risk profile of the contamination.
The bottler continues to cooperate with regulatory authorities while emphasizing that their standard quality assurance protocols typically catch such issues before products reach consumers. This bubble in the system serves as a fizzy reminder that even the most established brands occasionally need to can their products for safety’s sake.
