Nearly 1.9 Million Bottles of Water Sold on Amazon Recalled Due to Manganese and Bacterial Contamination

Check your fridge.

Natural Waters of Viti Limited has voluntarily recalled over 78,500 cases — amounting to nearly 1.9 million bottles — of its popular Fiji Natural Artesian Water after testing revealed the presence of manganese and three strains of bacteria.

According to Fiji’s post on X, the recall only affects specific lots of water that were sold solely on Amazon between February 1 and March 3 of this year.

The potentially affected products in this recall were sold in 24-packs of 500-milliliter bottles. The recalled bottles have production dates (PRD) of Nov. 11, 2023, Nov. 12, 2023, Nov. 13, 2023, Nov. 24, 2023, or Nov. 25, 2023. The Case UPC Code on the recalled products is  632565000043. And the bottle UPC code is  632565000012.

“Fiji Water remains safe to buy and consume,” the company wrote on X. “This is a quality issue only affecting the specific lots sold on Amazon.com.”

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According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), this is a Class III recall, of which the agency has three — with Class I being the most severe category, as it relates to products that could cause “serious adverse health consequences” or even death. By contrast, exposure to or consumption of products that are part of a Class III recall “is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.”

Manganese, the element that was found in the potentially affected bottles of Fiji water, is described by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry as a “naturally occurring substance found in many types of rocks and soil.” It has a number of both chemical and consumer applications, and the agency notes that it may occur naturally in many foods, including beans, grains, nuts, and some teas, and it can also be added to foods or nutritional supplements.

The agency also adds that both tap and bottled water “generally contain safe levels of manganese,” the FDA has set the maximum allowable concentration of manganese in bottled water at no more than 0.05 mg/L.

A spokesperson for The Wonderful Company, which represents Fiji, told KSNT that the company has collected most of the recalled bottles. “The FDA classification [...] relates to a matter from several months ago that never posed any health or safety risk,” the spokesperson said.

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“It affected products that were sold through only one distributor, and 99% of all those affected bottles were reclaimed with the remainder in warehouses to be returned. There is no higher priority to us than the safety and quality of Fiji Water. There is no health or safety risk posed by manganese or bacteria in the recalled lots of Fiji. Moreover, Fiji Water conducts regular testing to ensure consumers enjoy the soft, smooth taste of Fiji Water that they expect and love.”

Any customers who have purchased Fiji water and have questions about the recall are encouraged to call 1-866-406-4149.

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