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Coca-Cola has voluntarily pulled select production lots of canned Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Sprite after internal checks suggested tiny metal fragments might be present in a small number of cans. If you bought any of those products in the affected pack sizes, check the UPC and lot code on your carton against Coca-Cola’s recall list. If it matches, stop using the product and follow the company or retailer return/refund instructions. (For background on related beverage recalls, see recent beverage recalls.)
The notice landed like a small, quiet jolt: a bottling partner found an anomaly during routine inspections and, out of an abundance of caution, pulled certain canned product lots. No mass illnesses have been tied to the cans so far. Still, when metal is mentioned — even the whisper of it — people notice. I did when I opened a cola last week and felt the tiny, unsettling clink. It’s the sort of thing that makes you pause, and rightly so.
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What was recalled — the specifics
Coca-Cola says the recall is limited to particular production lots and specific pack formats, not every can on store shelves. The targeted products include certain 12-, 24- and 35-pack configurations of Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Sprite. This isn’t about a faulty ingredient or a contaminated recipe; it’s a physical foreign-material concern — a packaging or manufacturing snag that could leave a small metal piece inside a can.
If you want to compare how companies handle similar packaging problems, you can look at recent incidents like the nationwide coffee-creamer recall, which also turned on packaging and lot issues rather than ingredient contamination.
How to check if yours is affected (do this first)
Here’s a quick, practical checklist you can use right now — I’d run through it myself if a fridge-full of cans is staring at me.
- Find the pack size and UPC on the case or carton.
- Locate the lot code and production date printed on the packaging.
- Match those codes against Coca-Cola’s published recall list (the company and many retailers post this online).
- If it matches: stop using the product. Return it for a refund or follow Coca-Cola’s customer service instructions.
For extra step-by-step food-safety guidance — how to read lot codes, what records to keep, and how to contact manufacturers or stores — see this practical food-safety guide. It’s the place to go if you want clear, actionable instructions.
The health risk — what to watch for
Most of the danger here is physical. A metal shard could cut the mouth, scratch the throat, or — if swallowed — harm the digestive tract. It’s uncommon, but not impossible. If you or someone in your household swallows something sharp or begins to feel unusual pain — persistent mouth pain, bleeding, severe abdominal pain, trouble swallowing — seek medical attention and tell your provider the suspected product and lot number.
If you want to read about symptoms and public-health follow-up for similar foodborne problems, this salmonella/egg recall piece is a useful reference on when to act and how health authorities respond.
What to do right now — clear, short steps
- Stop drinking the product immediately.
- Compare your UPC and lot code to the recall list.
- Save the packaging and receipt if you’ll file a claim — the lot code is how they verify the product.
- Return the item to the retailer for a refund or follow Coca-Cola’s customer-service instructions for replacement.
- If you or a family member were injured, get medical care and report the incident to consumer protection authorities.
Short checklist for sharing or saving:
Locate UPC + lot → Match to recall list → If matched, stop use & return → If injured, seek care and report.
Why companies recall and what to expect next
Manufacturing lines are complex. A tiny machine fault, a stray fastener, a misaligned sealing head — any of those can produce a flaw that’s dangerous if it reaches a consumer. When a company finds a plausible risk, even a remote one, the safest play is to pull the affected lots, investigate, and communicate clearly. Expect Coca-Cola and its bottling partner to publish a full list of affected UPCs and lot codes, work with retailers to remove inventory, and issue refunds.
This isn’t an isolated pattern. We’ve seen recall activity across beverage and alcohol categories this year — from energy drinks to sparkling wine — as retailers and brands try to tighten quality controls. For a recent example of an alcoholic beverage recall and why it matters to supply chains, see this report.
And for more on the cluster of recent beverage pulls, return to the compilation of recent beverage recalls.
Consumer rights and record-keeping
Most retailers will accept returns of recalled items even without a receipt, but keeping the carton and lot code makes the process faster. If a retailer is slow to respond, contact Coca-Cola’s customer support and document every interaction — dates, names, emails. If you’ve seen a health effect, keep medical records and receipts; they matter for any future claims.
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Sources:
- FDA — food recalls & safety — https://www.fda.gov
- CDC — foodborne illness & symptoms — https://www.cdc.gov
Muhammad Ahtsham is the founder of EatLike.com, where he shares real-world advice on clean eating, high-protein meals, and healthy weight loss. With hands-on experience in nutrition and food blogging, his recipes and tips are practical, tested, and made to help real people see results.
