A Popular Sports Drink Is Being Recalled in 38 States Including Minnesota

If you have Gatorade sitting in your refrigerator right now, you might want to take a closer look at the bottle.

According to news reports, PepsiCo has recalled about 122,000 cases of Gatorade that were sold across the country, and Minnesota is one of the 37 states included in the recall.

GATORADE RECALL AFFECTS MINNESOTA

As someone who buys a whole lot of Gatorade, I will be checking this recall number against what I have in storage.

The recall involves 28-ounce bottles of four different Gatorade varieties:

• Lemon Lime
• Lemon Lime Zero
• Orange
• Orange Zero

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IS THIS RECALL SERIOUS?

The recall actually surprised me a little bit. I always assumed that the neon yellow drink had to be filled with some kind of toxic chemical, or it couldn't look like it might glow in the dark, but apparently there are people who think there aren't dyes in Gatorade. (I don't particularly like this product anyway, but it didn't stop me from drinking it regardless).

For those that are surprised by this news, the affected products contain Yellow No. 5 and/or Yellow No. 6, artificial food dyes that were not listed on the product label. The only reason there is a recall is that it wasn't listed on the label.

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A CLASS II RECALL

The Food and Drug Administration has classified this as a Class II recall, meaning, that eating or drinking the recalled product could cause temporary or medically reversible health problems, although the agency is not describing this as a situation where serious health consequences are expected.

The recall actually began September 25th, but the FDA updated the classification on October 2nd, and it covers specific cases of the 28-ounce bottles, so it doesn't mean that every bottle of Gatorade sitting in your fridge is part of the recall.

The affected products were distributed in a long list of states, and Minnesota was included in that list. Other states surrounding us include: Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin

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RECALL INFORMATION

If you have concerns regarding the recall, the FDA recall number is:
H-0009-2027.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE THE RECALLED PRODUCTS

The safest thing to do is to check the product carefully before drinking it. If you have one of the recalled varieties, don't drink it until you can confirm whether your particular product is included in the recall.

This is also a good reminder that recalls don't always involve things like spoiled food or broken packaging. Sometimes the issue is something that was left off a label.

And when you're buying products for your family, especially something like Gatorade that is often given to kids or used after sports and physical activity, you should always be checking the label if you have concerns anyway.

NO REFUND INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED AT THIS TIME

PepsiCo initiated the recall, and as of now, the company has not provided information about whether customers who purchased the affected Gatorade products will be eligible for a refund.

So, Minnesota, take a quick look in that refrigerator. If you've got Gatorade in there, it might be worth checking the bottle before you take that next drink. It sounds to me like you'll be drinking the same Gatorade that isn't labeled incorrectly, but if you have concerns, now you know.