Nocturnal 
PepsiCo has pulled more than 122,000 cases of Gatorade from shelves across 37 US states after discovering bottles contained artificial food dyes that weren’t listed on the label.
The recall covers four 28oz varieties: Gatorade Lemon Lime, Lemon Lime Zero, Orange and Orange Zero. According to a notice posted on the US Food and Drug Administration’s website, the drinks contained undeclared Yellow No. 5 and/or Yellow No. 6 dyes, which weren’t flagged on the packaging.
PepsiCo quietly began the recall on 25 September, but it only became public knowledge once the FDA officially classified it on 2 October. In total, 122,021 cases are affected, spanning multiple specific lot numbers listed by the FDA. Shoppers are being told to check the bottom or side of their bottles for the lot code to see if their drink is caught up in the recall.
The states affected stretch from coast to coast, including New York, New Jersey, Texas, California, Florida and dozens more. The FDA has not said how the undeclared dyes ended up in the drinks in the first place, and PepsiCo did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Guardian.
Why it matters
The FDA has classed this as a Class II recall, its middle tier of seriousness. That means exposure to the affected Gatorade “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences”, but the chance of anything more serious is considered remote, per the FDA’s own definition.
Still, undeclared dyes aren’t a minor labelling slip for everyone. People with sensitivities or allergies to Yellow No. 5 or Yellow No. 6 could be affected without knowing it, since the ingredients simply weren’t on the bottle for them to check against.
The recall also lands at an awkward moment for the FDA itself. The regulator has faced criticism during Donald Trump’s second presidency after it cut its workforce by almost 20%, raising questions from some quarters about its capacity to police food safety.
What happens next
As it stands, it’s unclear whether shoppers who bought the recalled bottles will be entitled to a refund. CBS News reported that this detail hadn’t been confirmed, and nothing in the FDA notice clarifies the point either.
For now, anyone with questions or concerns about a bottle they’ve bought is being encouraged to contact PepsiCo directly. The recall remains ongoing, and PepsiCo, which is headquartered in Purchase, New York, has not indicated when it expects the affected stock to be fully cleared from shelves.
Until then, the advice is simple: dig out any 28oz Gatorade Lemon Lime, Lemon Lime Zero, Orange or Orange Zero bottles you’ve got lying around and check the lot code against the FDA’s published list before drinking any more of it.
