FDA issues urgent recall on Coca-Cola after disturbing discovery found in nearly 900 cases — here's what it found

Hundreds of cases of Coca-Cola Original Taste aren't living up to the billing because customers have reported that they found plastic inside of some cans, according to Newsweek. 

What's happening?

The recall, initiated March 6, impacts 864 separate 12-packs in Illinois and Wisconsin with a date code of "SEP2925MDA." The Food and Drug Administration listed it as a Class II recall. That means that exposure to the beverage could cause "temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences," per Newsweek. 

"We are taking this voluntary action because nothing is more important to us than providing high-quality products to the people who drink our beverages," a Coca-Cola spokesperson told the publication. 

Why is the recall important?

Consuming plastic is one way the troublesome and prolific substances are entering the body in smaller forms called microplastics, as noted by Harvard Medicine. Experts are studying how the particles are harming humans, including possible inflammation and kidney damage. 

The news is part of a mixed bag of headlines for Coca-Cola. In India, the well-known brand pushed recycling's importance by giving out thousands of jackets made with reused bottles. Other reports highlighted a cleaner solar energy project at an Indian production site.

On the other hand, the company has been criticized for using loads of water in drought-hit Mexico during a time when residents were struggling to find clean H2O, HipLatina reported. Coca-Cola is also no stranger to plastic waste, often referred to as the company responsible for the most plastic pollution in the world. And this isn't its first safety recall, either.

For the brand's part, 1.9 billion servings are produced daily. At that scale, it's tough to avoid recalls entirely. And it's something that happens for a wide range of products (even clams), for a variety of reasons. 

Scientific American listed some of the more troubling ones as of 2017. In 2011, lead was found in bubblegum. In 2017, a dead bat turned up in a packaged salad. Plastic contamination was on the list a couple of times for various products. 

That's likely why about 81% of respondents surveyed late last year by CivicScience were at least "somewhat" concerned about recalls after a recent spree of them. 

What's being done to help?

Supporting brands that use plastic-free packaging is a great way to encourage planet-friendly manufacturing. And avoiding single-use products is another way to help. A reusable water bottle, for example, can save you hundreds of bucks annually while providing a better experience. 

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What's more, experts are learning that eating more fruits and veggies can help to negate some of the harm microplastics can cause in our bodies. 

The government also has a couple of sites that provide updates on products to avoid. 

For reference, the recall number on the Coca-Cola concern is "F-0664-2025." The production time stamps are between 11:00 and 12:53. Impacted packs have a single-can UPC of "0 49000-00634 6" and a 12-pack UPC of "0 49000-02890 4," according to Newsweek. 

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