While many of us carry around reusable water bottles these days, there are times when you need a grab-and-go option instead. And whether you only occasionally pick one up on your way to work or stock your fridge weekly, chances are you have a brand of choice. If Fiji water is your pick, you'll want to pay attention: According to a May 23 enforcement report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 1.9 million Fiji water bottles have been recalled.
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Natural Waters of Viti Limited voluntarily pulled 78,533 cases of Fiji Natural Artesian Walter 500 mL (24 pack) sold on Amazon between Feb. and March 2024. The recall was initiated in early March, and is currently listed as "ongoing," per the FDA notice.
With that in mind, if you have Fiji water at home, you might want to give your bottles a once-over. Recalled cases have a production date of Nov. 11, 2023; Nov. 12, 2023; Nov. 13, 2023; Nov. 24, 2023; or Nov. 25, 2023. The universal product code (UPC) on the recalled cases is 6 32565 00004 3, and 6 32565 00001 2 on the individual Fiji water bottles.
The 1.9 million recalled bottles were pulled after testing revealed the presence of manganese and "three bacterial genera" in the water. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cooperative Extension, manganese is the thirteenth most common element in the Earth's crust and can affect water when it flows through soil and rocks that contain the mineral.
Manganese is actually vital for our health, but when levels are too high in the body, it can harm the nervous system, according to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. To protect against this, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets the standard of manganese in drinking water at 0.05 milligrams per liter.
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In March, Amazon sent an alert to customers who bought the cases, informing them of a "potential safety issue." When customers posted the alert on X seeking clarity, Fiji responded by saying they learned of a "quality issue" with the cases and the notice from Amazon didn't "accurately affect the issue."
"We were notified of a quality issue with complaints of discoloration in select product," the company wrote on X.
In a follow-up post, Fiji stated that Amazon's notification was actually "overstated" and there was "no reason to believe there is a health or safety issue" with the water.
In a statement to Health, a spokesperson for Fiji noted that the issue "involved a single customer" and "never posed any safety risk."
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Fiji Water also "conducted evaluations of the levels of manganese, a naturally occurring mineral, and any bacteria, and consumers can be fully confident of no health or safety risk. Simply stated, we recalled this limited supply of product because it did not align with the strict quality standards we uphold," the company added.
"The affected products were immediately and voluntarily recalled, with 99% of affected bottles reclaimed from warehouses and the remainder in warehouses to be returned," the spokesperson said. "There is currently no issue of concern with Fiji Water."
The FDA recall is Class III, meaning it's "a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences," the agency says.
However, if you do find recalled products, you can contact Fiji at 1-866-406-4149 for a refund, Health reports. Any affected water bottles should be thrown away.
Best Life reached out to Fiji for comment, and will update the story when we hear back.
