They say that carbonated drinks are bad for you, contain a lot of sugar, and make digestion difficult. Rarely will they tell us that they may contain metal fragments, but that is what happened with one of the latest shipments of Coca-Cola drinks sold in Texas. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an official alert to recall three of the most iconic products in the Coca-Cola family: classic Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, and Sprite.
Due to a possible risk of contamination with metal fragments inside the cans, this recall requires the immediate attention of anyone who has recently purchased these products, especially if they live in certain areas of the United States.
The Coca-Cola can recall
The affected cans were in the state of Texas. The recall process was initiated voluntarily by the regional bottler Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, LLC, a Dallas-based company. The FDA has classified this incident as a Class II recall. The recall began on October 3, 2025, and the FDA formally classified it on October 20, 2025. The regional bottling company detected the problem early and took productive measures. Generally, metal fragments in food or beverages are due to a problem in the production line or packaging process (usually a broken piece of machinery or a calibration error).
If these small metal fragments are ingested, they could cause internal injuries or illness. This is why the FDA is using Class II for this particular recall, as use of or exposure to the contaminated product “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.” This is why all Texans who have purchased cans of Coca-Cola in the last month should check their cupboards to make sure they do not drink any of the affected cans.
Magnitude of the Recall
The scale of this product recall is quite large: initial reports from the FDA indicate that the recall affects more than 4,000 multi-packs. Considering that each pack can contain 12, 24, or 35 cans, we are talking about thousands of units of carbonated beverage cans. Rounding up, authorities estimate that the number of individual cans affected will exceed 70,000 cans.
We agree that these cans were only distributed in Texas. The specific areas identified in the FDA documentation include points of sale in areas such as the Rio Grande Valley/McAllen and San Antonio. These cans were sold to both retailers and convenience stores, so if you have purchased cans at large supermarkets or neighborhood stores at gas stations, you may have been affected.
We must identify them by code. It is best to look for the lot code and expiration date printed on the box or package of soda. It does not appear on the individual can, as only packages with multiple cans are affected:
- Coca-Cola Zero Sugar (12-pack)
- 49000042559
- FEB0226MAA
- Coca-Cola Zero Sugar (35-pack)
- 49000058499
- FEB0226MAA
- Coca-Cola (24-pack)
- 49000012781
- JUN2926MAA
- Coca-Cola (35-pack)
- 49000058468
- JUN2926MAA
- Sprite (12-pack)
- 49000028928
- JUN2926MAA
- Sprite (12-pack)
- 49000028928
- JUN3026MAB
- Sprite (35-pack)
- 49000058482
- JUN2926MAA
If your product code matches any of the ones listed above, do not consume these drinks. Throw them away immediately or, if you prefer, take them back to where you bought them for a full refund.
In the end, our grandmothers will be proven right, and it will be healthier to drink water. We will spend a good deal of time carefully sipping our carbonated drinks, trying to determine whether what we feel on our tongues are bubbles or metal fragments. Ultimately, buying carbonated drinks not only costs money, but also our health.
If you are fed up with the rising prices of soda and want to wean off, you can start cutting it out by substituting it with flavored seltzer or sparkling water. The harder –but most effective way– is going cold turkey and keeping a bottle of water around at all times.
