Normally when we report about a large-scale product recall in our blog, the reasons for those recalls are concerning but not necessarily shocking. For example, we recently talked about how certain deodorants have been recalled for potential benzene contamination. But, this time, the reason for a multistate product recall is a little strange: Minute Maid juices have been recalled due to the risk of metal bolts and washers being inside some bottles that reach store shelves.
Minute Maid has recalled these 59-ounce refrigerated juice cartons:
- Berry Punch
- Fruit Punch
- Strawberry Lemonade
Potentially unsafe batches of these products were distributed to these states:
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Maryland
- New Hampshire
- New York
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Virginia
Universal Product Codes (UPCs) affected by the recall are:
- 025000047671
- 025000019760
- 025000047732
Coca-Cola Company – the parent company of Minute Maid – is asking all consumers to return any products matching these UPCs immediately without drinking them. Accidentally drinking a metal bolt or washer inside the juice carton could be a serious choking hazard. Ingesting the metal could be even more dangerous. Also, there could be smaller metal bits inside the affected juice cartons, which is why it is so important to discard or return the juice. Don’t drink it just because you don’t see a large metal bolt inside the carton.
It is not clear how metal bolts and other foreign objects could have gotten inside the juice cartons. Minute Maid also did not report how it became aware of the potential hazards in the first place.
Will Minute Maid Be Sued?
Currently, there appear to be no reports of people who have been injured or fallen ill due to metal contamination in Minute Maid juice products. However, this does not mean that Coca-Cola and Minute Maid are entirely clear of legal problems yet. When a consumer class action forms against a corporation for selling an unsafe product, people who bought the product but were not directly injured by it can sometimes join the plaintiff class, which strengthens the case against it. It could be possible that Minute Maid could later face litigation, especially if an investigation reveals that the metal contamination was caused by egregious negligence at the manufacturing plant.
Golomb Legal. and our consumer class action lawyers stay atop product recall stories so you can, too. Be sure to visit our blog often for important news and updates. If you need help with a class action, you can get a free consultation with our firm. We assist clients nationwide.