PepsiCo, a leading global producer of soft drinks, snacks, and other food products, has a long history of responding to potential safety concerns by issuing recalls. While not every recall stems from a significant public health threat, PepsiCo takes each one seriously, often acting out of an abundance of caution. Over the years, recalls have been triggered by allergy risks, bacterial contamination concerns, and even potential poisoning threats.
Allergy-Related Recalls
The increasing prevalence of food allergies has led to greater awareness and willingness among businesses to accommodate those with allergies. Several PepsiCo recalls have been initiated due to mislabeling or cross-contamination issues that posed a risk to individuals with allergies.
Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips (2025)
In March 2025, Frito-Lay, a PepsiCo subsidiary, recalled 13-ounce bags of Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips in 13 states because the bags contained nacho cheese tortilla chips instead of the advertised snack. This posed a risk to individuals with milk allergies.
Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored Chips (2023)
In August 2023, Doritos announced a recall of two sizes of its nacho cheese flavored chips because the labeling did not include warnings for two different allergens. These allergens are among the nine major food allergens recognized by the FDA. The smaller package size increased the risk of exposure for children in school cafeterias. Reactions to these allergens can range from mild symptoms like hives to severe respiratory complications like anaphylaxis.
Tostitos Avocado Salsa (2023)
In June 2023, Tostitos shipped out Avocado Salsa with incorrect labels, posing a risk to those with milk allergies. The Tostitos Avocado Salsa had made it into the correct package, but the label was in error. The listed ingredients appeared to be that of a typical salsa instead, with no details available warning of the risk posed to those who might suffer from a milk allergy.
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Grandma's Sandwich Creme Peanut Butter Cookies (Various)
Packages of Grandma's Sandwich Creme Peanut Butter Cookies and Peanut Butter Mini Sandwich Cremes Cookies were named in a recall due to undeclared allergens. None of Grandma's other cookie flavors were affected. The FDA categorizes milk and egg as major allergens and requires all pre-packaged food and drink items that use these ingredients to print an allergen warning on the label.
Bacterial Contamination Recalls
Bacterial contamination is another significant concern that has led to PepsiCo recalls. These recalls are often initiated to prevent the spread of illnesses caused by bacteria such as Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.
Quaker Granola Bars and Cereals (2024)
In January 2024, PepsiCo announced a major recall impacting store shelves beyond just the 50 states after bacteria that causes digestive issues, fever, and has a potential for more severe symptoms if it reaches the bloodstream, expanded twice in January 2024 after the initial recall as Quaker named more products that were getting pulled off shelves. In addition to Quaker granola bars and cereal, the recall added: Cap'n Crunch bars, cereal, and instant oatmeal; Gamesa Marias cereal; Gatorade peanut butter chocolate protein bars; Munchies snack mix; and various assortment boxes.
When the FDA inspected the Danville plant, Salmonella Cubana was found in multiple places throughout the plant. The inspectors also observed an unsanitary environment rife with health code violations. The Quaker recalls caused a volume loss of around 22%, and PepsiCo was not pleased.
Frozen French Toast, Pancakes, and Waffles (Prior to 2021)
Before the popular pancake and syrup brand made a name change to Pearl Milling Company, a plant producing frozen French toast, pancakes, and waffles tested positive for the presence of the listeria monocytogenes bacteria responsible for listeriosis. Erring on the side of caution, the PepsiCo subsidiary recalled 19 different products that also included Hungry Man Selects Chicken & Waffles.
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Miss Vickie's and Lay's Jalapeño Flavored Potato Chips (2017)
In 2017, Miss Vickie's and Lay's issued a voluntary recall of jalapeño flavored potato chips due to the potential for exposure to Salmonella. Both brands' variations of kettle cooked chips utilized the same seasoning blend to bring the heat. On top of the digestive issues that can arise from the bacteria, Salmonella infections also have the potential of causing heart problems and arthritis. Due to the possible consequences, all sizes of the two different chip offerings within the window for guaranteed freshness were subject to the recall.
Lay's and Ruffles Ranch and Onion Dips (2020)
On May 4, 2020 Frito-Lay recalled multiple varieties of Ranch Dip and Onion Dip sold under the Lay's and Ruffles brands due to mold contamination. The recalled jars of Ruffles Ranch Dip and Onion Dip were sold in Canada. The production numbers involved were huge. Despite the recall's staggering weight, PepsiCo didn't issue a press release detailing the situation. Since PepsiCo (and the FDA for that matter) kept the issue discrete and no cases of mold sickness were reported, there was little to no media coverage about it.
Mislabeled Products
Mislabeled products have also been a recurring issue for PepsiCo, leading to several recalls. These recalls are often initiated to ensure that consumers receive accurate information about the products they are purchasing, particularly regarding ingredients and sugar content.
Schweppes Zero Sugar Ginger Ale (2024)
In March 2024, PepsiCo recalled nearly 330 gallons of 7.5-ounce cans of Schweppes Zero Sugar Ginger Ale after discovering that the sugar-filled version had gone into the cans.
Mug Root Beer (2024)
In March 2024, PepsiCo announced a voluntary recall for 12-pack cans of Mug Root Beer because what was actually in those cans was Mug Zero Sugar. The mislabeled 12-packs were distributed in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The FDA terminated the recall one month later, after a total of 2,801 cases of Mug Root Beer were pulled from circulation.
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Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar (Various)
Jacksonville-based Pepsi Beverages Company found itself recalling 19,203 cans of Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar from three states after discovering that the cans actually contained full sugar Dr. Pepper.
Diet Pepsi (2019)
When an April 2019 recall pulled a huge amount of Diet Pepsi from circulation, the loyalty of PepsiCo's sugar-free cola drinkers was tested. The recall pertained to mislabeled Diet Pepsi cans. While the outer packaging indicated that the Diet Pepsi contains Aspartame, the cans themselves were labeled Aspartame-free. Before the error was caught, 9,214 cases of mislabeled Diet Pepsi were shipped to Southern California with intent for larger distribution. Selling the inconsistently labeled cans would have undoubtedly caused confusion amongst consumers (at least for those who read both packaging labels), but that wasn't the only reason for PepsiCo's recall.
Diet Pepsi Caffeine Free (2024)
PepsiCo in March 2024: A packaging error resulted in Diet Pepsi Caffeine Free cans correctly labeled as containing aspartame on the primary packaging, but mislabeled as aspartame-free on the outer packaging.
Foreign Contaminants
The presence of foreign contaminants in PepsiCo products has also led to recalls. These contaminants can range from glass fragments to metal pieces, posing a risk of injury to consumers.
Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino Bottled Coffee (2023)
In January 2023, PepsiCo issued a nationwide recall of Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino bottled coffee due to the presence of glass fragments. The Class II recall made 25,200 cases of Vanilla Frappuccino bottled coffee unfit for consumption - that's equivalent to 302,400 bottles. The FDA didn't terminate the recall until July 20, 2023. PepsiCo kept a tight-lipped stance on the recall details. How the glass pieces found their way into over 300,000 bottles of product was never reported, and no injuries associated with the foreign contaminant were disclosed either.
Starbucks French Vanilla Espresso Tripleshot (2022)
An August 2022 recall for Starbucks French Vanilla Espresso Tripleshot was one of those times. PepsiCo announced a recall for the 15-ounce cans because there was a chance that metal fragments had gotten inside. In total, PepsiCo recalled 221 cases of Starbucks French Vanilla Espresso Tripleshot, or 2,652 cans. The FDA gave the recall a Class II designation due to the significant risk of choking or dental injury that might occur from drinking metal fragments. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries associated with the recall.
SunChips Six Grain Medley Creamy Roasted Garlic (2012)
Frito-Lay recalled the Creamy Roasted Garlic SunChips over concerns that they were contaminated with pieces of metal mesh. The voluntary recall resulted in 13,812 cases being withdrawn from the retail market. The suspicious Six Grain Medley Creamy Roasted Garlic SunChips were sold in grocery stores, food service establishments, and vending machines nationwide.
Coca-Cola Products (2023)
In 2023, Coca-Cola discovered foreign material in cans of Diet Coke, Sprite, and Fanta Orange manufactured by Alabama-based United Packers. As a result, 2,000 cases of the stuff were recalled from stores across Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama. The recall, which includes 12-packs of 12-ounce cans, affected 1,557 cases of Sprite, 417 cases of Diet Coke, and 14 cases of Fanta Orange, according to the agency.
Cheetos (Various)
Limited to the snack served up in the red bag, leaving those in blue, green, and purple bags unaffected, the recall impacted all bag sizes of the crunchy treat from 1.25 ounces to 24 ounces. As for the discovery of the potential risk to consumers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, the Plano, Texas-based manufacturer had detailed that glass particles had been discovered on the line at only one of the 14 plants used to produce Cheetos.
Coca‐Cola, Fanta, and Sprite (1972)
Coca-Cola found itself recalling a whopping 3.2 million cans of Coca‐Cola, Fanta, and Sprite from retail stores across New York state in 1972. In this case, the solvent did not burn off due to an oven malfunction, which left the stuff just lurking on the lid.
Other Notable Recalls
SoBe Beverages (Various)
What wasn't readily available was an explanation for how the cough suppressant had potentially wound up in 5,700 cases of SoBe Green Tea and 1,500 cases of SoBe Energy. Those 20 ounce glass bottles had been distributed to stores in 11 states and consumers with preexisting conditions like asthma or those on medications like antidepressants were especially cautioned on the risk should they consume the beverages.
Tropicana Orange Juice (2002)
When Tropicana had to issue a recall in 2002 on 100,000 gallon-size containers of its orange juice, the vitamin-rich fluid was enough to fill roughly 10 tanker trucks. In fact, of the thousands of bottles that had been distributed to Sam's Club warehouses across the country, Tropicana had confirmed that about 500 bottles of its Pure Premium Calcium offering had assuredly been exposed to the cleaning solution. The recall came only a few years after the juice brand had become a subsidiary of PepsiCo in 1998.
Lemon Lime Slice (1986)
The lead-up to PepsiCo's Lemon Lime Slice recall in 1986 was equal parts alarming and bizarre. Soda drinkers in the New York City metropolitan area were on high alert that July after an anonymous male called 911 and informed police that he had contaminated Pepsi bottles with cyanide. Seeing as the caller's description of "Pepsi bottles" was vague, authorities honed in on the lot number information. The lot that matched the number the closest implicated 66,000 bottles of Lemon Lime Slice. All of them were recalled. Charles Thomas, who was vice-president of Pepsi-Cola at the time issued a statement to the New York Times, assuring that ”about 7,000 of the 11,000 cases are under lock and key.” The precaution proved to be a crucial one. No known cyanide poisonings occurred after the threat was made.
Glass Pepsi Bottles (1970s)
"Grandma, tell me about when 2-liter glass bottles of Pepsi used to explode into people's faces and necks," isn't an oft-requested nostalgic tale - but it did happen in the '70s. Back then, Pepsi began enhancing the volume of its bottles to meet consumer demand. The large glass soda bottles couldn't withstand the pressure created by the soda's carbonation, so they exploded. in 1978, and they were part of the problem. A high profile case in Canada kickstarted the recall of plus-sized glass soda bottles. A 3-year-old boy got caught in the crossfire of a soda explosion and was permanently blinded in one eye. Following the incident, a Canadian engineer named David Barham began studying large soda bottles from various brands. He observed that more often than not, the bottles burst if tipped over. When the Canadian Soft Drink Association gave pushback, Barham went on national television and demonstrated how easily the bottles exploded when gently knocked over. Public outcry from disturbed viewers ultimately pushed the government to issue a recall. In the Toronto area alone, 50,000 cases were pulled from shelves. A permanent solution was ushered out soon after.
Pepsi Syringe Hoax (1993)
As numerous new reports of syringes and needles in Pepsi and Diet Pepsi cans surfaced Wednesday, soft drink giant Pepsico decided to go ahead this weekend and launch a massive TV ad campaign for Diet Pepsi featuring the popular singing trio the “Uh-Huh Girls.”For the moment, at least, no advertising will respond specifically to the widely publicized reports--many of which federal investigators suspected were false--from consumers in more than a dozen states. That doesn’t mean Pepsi has been passive in the face of what is potentially the most serious public relations crisis of its 74-year history. “Why buy advertising when we can go on ‘Nightline’ and make our case?” asked a Pepsi spokesman. Top crisis management and public relations executives generally say that Pepsi has done a good job of handling the problem by taking the offensive and--among other things--placing its top domestic executive on virtually every major television news show. Officials have explained the bottling process in plants. They have insisted that it is all but impossible for any of the syringes to have been inserted into cans during manufacturing.