Recently, there’s been a lot of rumbling about a recall of Fiji bottled water that has left many consumers confused. Here’s what you need to know about the recall, including what products are involved and what Fiji has said about the situation.
What’s happened?
Back in March, Natural Waters of Viti Limited, the makers of Fiji Water, initiated a voluntary recall of some of its bottled water due to fears that it may have contained manganese and three bacterial genera. Too much manganese can be harmful, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
But unusually, there was no press release for this recall, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not post a recall notice on its website. Instead, customers who had purchased the water were notified of the recall by Amazon, where the water was sold.
Though the recall was initiated by Natural Waters of Viti Limited in March, its existence is gaining more traction now due to an FDA enforcement report released in late May that clarified the classification of the recall.
What Fiji Water product is being recalled?
The recall covers the Fiji Natural Artesian Water 500 mL (24 pack), which was sold nationwide on Amazon.com. The full details of the recalled product are:
- Product: Fiji Natural Artesian Water 500 mL (24 pack)
- Case UPC Code: 6 32565 00004 3
- Bottle UPC Code: 6 32565 00001 2
- Production dates: Nov. 11, 2023, Nov. 12, 2023, Nov. 13, 2023, Nov. 24, 2023, Nov. 25, 2023
According to Real Simple, the impacted product was sold between February 1, 2024, and March 3, 2024.
What did the FDA’s enforcement report say?
The FDA’s enforcement report is dated May 23, 2024, and it had several bits of information—including that Natural Waters of Viti Limited voluntarily initiated the recall of the impacted product on March 4, 2024, and that the company did not issue a press release for the recall.
The report also revealed that 78,533 cases of the water product were impacted, which at 24 bottles a case, equaled 1.88 million bottles of water.
Finally, the report also said the recall is ongoing and that it is classified as a Class III recall. According to the FDA, a Class III recall is “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.”
The release of the FDA’s enforcement report last week is what has garnered the majority of the attention around the Fiji recall months after the water was initially recalled.
What has Fiji said about the recall?
The brand has made several statements about the recall after the public gained increased awareness of it this week. In a post on X, the company said the recall “involved a limited amount of products sold only through Amazon.com and never posed any health or safety risk. There is currently no issue of concern with FIJI Water.”
In a statement to Fast Company, a Fiji spokesperson said, “The classification announced last Thursday relates to a matter that took place several months ago and has been long resolved. It involved a very limited amount of products sold for a brief period only through Amazon.com and never posed any health or safety risk. 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 statement continued, “The consumers who might have received the impacted product were directly notified back in March. We 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. FIJI Water places safety and the quality of our product as our highest priority. There is currently no issue of concern with FIJI Water.”
What should I do if I have concerns?
Customers who have concerns about the recalled water should contact Fiji Water at 888-426-4602.
This story has been updated with Fiji’s response to our inquiry. An earlier versions incorrectly referenced contamination; however, manganese is a naturally occurring substance.