Juice recalls occur for a variety of reasons, from pathogen contamination in unpasteurized products to undeclared allergens in juice blends and labeling errors that misrepresent ingredients. Both fresh-pressed and commercially pasteurized juices have been subject to recalls, though unpasteurized (raw) juice carries distinctly higher contamination risk. There are currently multiple food recalls tracked on Recall Tracker, including juice and beverage product recalls.
This page explains how to check your specific juice product, which agency handles juice recalls, the most common recall reasons, and what steps to take if your product is affected.
Step 1: Find the lot code and best-by date.
These are printed on the bottle cap, the bottom of the carton, or the side label. For refrigerated juices and juice boxes, the lot code may be stamped or printed in small text near the product date.
Step 2: Note the UPC code and product details.
Juice recalls are typically product-specific. A recall affecting one flavor or size of a juice line does not automatically affect other flavors or sizes from the same brand. Check the UPC and product name on your specific container.
Step 3: Identify whether the juice is pasteurized.
Unpasteurized (raw) juice is required by FDA to carry a warning label. If your juice does not carry a pasteurization statement and you are uncertain whether it was pasteurized, check with the retailer or manufacturer. Unpasteurized juices carry higher pathogen risk and are subject to more frequent recalls.
Step 4: Search Recall Tracker.
Go to Recall Tracker and search your brand name. Compare the lot code, best-by date, and product name against the details in any recall notices.
Step 5: Use the barcode scanner.
The barcode scanner at /scan lets you scan the UPC on your juice container to check it against the recall database.
Step 6: Set up brand alerts.
Visit brands and follow the juice manufacturer to receive automatic notifications for future recalls.
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has jurisdiction over juice and juice drink recalls. Under the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) regulations for juice, FDA requires juice processors to implement safety controls designed to achieve a 5-log pathogen reduction. Fresh-squeezed unpasteurized juice sold for immediate consumption at a retail location may be exempt from these requirements but must carry a warning label. See the FDA agency page for more on how FDA recall authority works.
Imported juices are also subject to FDA oversight at the border, and recalls of imported juice products — particularly those from countries with less rigorous food safety oversight — are a recurring occurrence.
Undeclared allergens are among the most common reasons juice and juice drinks are recalled. Juice blends and flavored drink products frequently contain ingredients derived from major allergens that may not be clearly disclosed on the label. Common undeclared allergen issues in juice recalls include:
Undeclared milk: Some juice smoothies and fortified juices contain dairy-derived ingredients (such as whey protein or milk-based nutrients) that are not disclosed on the label as milk or dairy derivatives. This is particularly dangerous for consumers with milk allergies.
Undeclared tree nuts: Juice products containing almond milk, cashew milk, or other tree nut-derived ingredients that are not clearly identified on labels have been recalled.
Undeclared soy: Soy-derived ingredients used as carriers for vitamins or flavorings in juice products may not always appear clearly on ingredient labels.
These recalls can occur when a manufacturer changes a formulation without updating the label, or when a co-packer uses a different ingredient version than specified.
Unpasteurized juices — including fresh-pressed apple cider, cold-pressed fruit and vegetable juices, and raw juice blends — carry risk of contamination with E. coli O157:H7, salmonella, and Cryptosporidium. The contamination pathway typically involves fruit or vegetable surfaces that carry pathogenic bacteria from soil, water, or animal contact, which are then pressed into the juice without a heat treatment to kill pathogens.
A 1996 Odwalla unpasteurized apple juice E. coli O157:H7 outbreak sickened 70 people, caused 14 cases of HUS, and resulted in the death of a 16-month-old child. The outbreak prompted FDA to regulate juice safety more aggressively and ultimately led to the juice HACCP rule.
Cold-pressed juice, which has grown significantly in popularity, operates under the same pathogen risk framework as other unpasteurized juices. Many cold-pressed juice products are treated with high-pressure processing (HPP) rather than heat, which achieves the required pathogen reduction for commercially sold products. Locally made cold-pressed juices sold at juice bars or farmers markets may not be HPP-treated and are required to carry a warning label.
Cryptosporidium parvum, a parasitic protozoan, has been linked to fresh apple cider and other unpasteurized juice products. Cryptosporidium is resistant to chlorine-based disinfectants and can only be reliably eliminated through pasteurization or UV treatment. It causes cryptosporidiosis, characterized by watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, and nausea lasting 1–2 weeks.
Juice recalls have addressed products containing foreign material including glass fragments from production equipment, seal or cap components, and undissolved ingredient particles at unsafe concentrations.
Juice products that undergo unexpected fermentation — often due to improper temperature control during distribution or a packaging failure that allows air contact — may be recalled due to elevated alcohol content (creating labeling compliance issues) or pressure buildup that creates a risk of container rupture.
FDA regulations require juice products to clearly label the percentage of juice in the product. Juice drinks that label themselves in ways that overstate juice content, or that list flavor names in a way that implies fruit or vegetable content not actually present, have been subject to recall for misbranding.
Stop drinking it. Remove the recalled juice from your refrigerator.
Do not give it to children. Children, particularly those under five, are at higher risk of severe complications from E. coli O157:H7, Cryptosporidium, and salmonella. If a child has consumed recalled unpasteurized juice and develops symptoms, contact a healthcare provider promptly.
Monitor for symptoms. Pathogen-related symptoms from juice typically appear within 1–10 days. For allergen exposure, reactions can occur within minutes to hours of consumption.
Seek medical care if symptomatic. Bloody diarrhea, signs of dehydration, or anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction with difficulty breathing, throat tightening, or collapse) are emergencies requiring immediate medical attention.
Keep the container. Save the bottle or carton with the lot code, best-by date, and UPC for a refund claim.
Contact the manufacturer or retailer. Juice recalls typically offer full refunds. Use the manufacturer's contact information in the recall notice.
Cold-pressed juice that has been treated with high-pressure processing (HPP) achieves an equivalent pathogen reduction to pasteurization and is safe for most consumers. Cold-pressed juice that has not been HPP-treated is unpasteurized and carries the same pathogen risks as other raw juices — and is required to carry an FDA warning label. If you are pregnant, immunocompromised, elderly, or serving juice to children under five, avoid unpasteurized juice entirely.
The safety concern for undeclared allergen recalls is specifically for individuals with the relevant allergy. If you and all household members have no allergy to the undeclared ingredient, the juice is not a health risk for you specifically. However, you are still entitled to a full refund, and you should not give the juice to anyone whose allergy status you are unsure of.
Contact your healthcare provider, particularly if symptoms include diarrhea (especially bloody diarrhea), fever, nausea, or vomiting. Describe what you consumed and when. For E. coli O157:H7 infections, avoid antidiarrheal medications and seek prompt evaluation — early intervention for HUS can improve outcomes.
No. Refrigeration slows pathogen growth but does not eliminate it. Unpasteurized juice that is refrigerated still carries pathogen risk. Only pasteurization or high-pressure processing reliably reduces pathogen levels to safe limits.
Search all food recalls to check your specific juice brand, and browse food brands to set up automatic alerts. You can also view recall statistics by category to understand trends in beverage safety. As of {{CURRENT_DATE}}, Recall Tracker is actively monitoring recalls from FDA, USDA, and seven additional agencies.
Start by checking the brand name, product size, flavor, UPC, lot code, and best-by date against current recall notices. Many juice recalls involve only specific lots, not every product from the brand. If you have the bottle or carton, you can use RecallTracker’s barcode scanner at /scan or search by manufacturer at /brands to narrow it down quickly.
Juice is commonly recalled for contamination risks such as Salmonella, mold, or possible glass or foreign material, and for labeling problems like undeclared milk, tree nuts, or other allergens in blended drinks. Unpasteurized juices can face higher pathogen-related risk because they have not gone through the same kill step as pasteurized products. If you want to see which causes show up most often, the breakdown on /statistics is the fastest place to compare recall trends.
No, most recalls are limited to specific flavors, package sizes, production dates, or lot numbers. A recall notice may apply only to one SKU sold in certain states or during a short date range, so matching the exact packaging details matters. RecallTracker’s /brands pages help you check whether your brand has one isolated recall or a wider pattern across multiple products.
First, stop using the product and save the container if possible, since the lot code helps confirm whether it matches the recall. If the recall involves allergens or microbial contamination and you have symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, swelling, or trouble breathing, contact a medical professional promptly. You can also use /scan to verify the product and Premium at /pricing if you want faster monitoring alerts for future recalls.
Yes, older recalls can still be useful because they show repeat issues with certain brands, co-packers, or product types like cold-pressed blends and children’s juice drinks. Reviewing recall history on /statistics and /brands can help you spot patterns before you buy again. If you want ongoing tracking instead of manual searches, Premium on /pricing is the simplest way to stay updated on newly posted recall notices.