PepsiCo recalled 122,021 cases of Gatorade over dyes missing from the label

Gatorade’s 28-ounce bottles in lemon-lime and orange are the subject of a recall covering 122,021 cases, after PepsiCo found that some of the drinks carry Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6 or both without naming either dye on the label. The company began the recall on Sept. 25, and the Food and Drug Administration put it in Class II on Oct. 2.

Nothing in the recalled liquid is a contaminant. The problem is a missing line of text, and for a small number of drinkers that line decides whether a bottle is safe to open.

Four 28-ounce flavors in 122,021 cases

Four varieties are on the list: Gatorade Lemon Lime, Lemon Lime Zero, Orange and Orange Zero, all in 28-ounce bottles. The count of 122,021 cases comes from the recall record as reported by The Healthy, and Forbes reports the same total, with April-through-June 2027 date codes.

The recall is voluntary, and News4Jax reports that the recalled beverages contain “Yellow No. 6 and/or Yellow No. 5 that were not declared on the label,” which means a given bottle may hold one dye, the other, or both. The recall notices list only the four flavors above in the 28-ounce size, so the dye question is tied to specific lots rather than to the brand as a whole, and the lot list below is what separates an affected bottle from an unaffected one on a shelf.

Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6 on the ingredient list

Both dyes are legal in beverages. What federal rules require is that they be named. Under 21 CFR 74.705, foods that contain FD&C Yellow No. 5 must declare it by listing it among the ingredients, and the FDA’s consumer guidance says each certified color additive has to appear on the label by its listed name or a shortened form such as “Yellow 6.”

The rule exists because of how a small group of people react. The FDA says plainly that FD&C Yellow No. 5 may cause itching and hives in some people, and that the dye is widely found in beverages, desserts, candy and breakfast cereals. A shopper who has learned to avoid it reads the ingredient panel, and on these bottles the panel gave no warning.

ABC News, summarizing the agency’s notice, reported that the possible effects include a mild rash or allergic-type asthma, with such reactions uncommon in the general population and more frequent among people who are sensitive to aspirin. The agency’s wording is modest, and the framing matters: the dyes themselves are approved, and the recall turns on disclosure alone. Forbes notes that the FDA approves both Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6 and that regulations require them to be declared on ingredient labels.

The FDA’s Class II designation on Oct. 2

The FDA sorts recalls into three classes by severity. Class II covers products whose use may cause temporary or medically reversible health problems, or where the chance of serious harm is remote. ABC News quotes the agency’s language that Class II products “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences,” and notes that PepsiCo started the action on Sept. 25 while the formal classification followed a week later.

A week between start and classification is ordinary. A company announces or begins a voluntary withdrawal, the FDA reviews the health hazard evaluation, and only then assigns the class that appears in the enforcement report. Forbes also reports that the FDA had logged 540 second-tier food recalls and 410 in the most severe tier so far in 2026, which places a dye omission in the more common of the two. PepsiCo has not publicly explained how the labeling error occurred, so the cause on the production side is not documented in the public record reviewed.

Lot codes that identify the recalled bottles

Recalled bottles are identified by lot code rather than by flavor alone. The Healthy’s reproduction of the recall entry lists codes such as 091026 DL with a best-by of JUN 07 27, 091126 DL (JUN 08 27), 072226 DT (APR 18 27), 073126 TL (APR 27 27) and 082526 KM (MAY 22 27), among fifteen in all, each paired with a best-by date falling between April and June 2027.

Distribution reached a long list of states. The Healthy’s listing runs from Alabama and Alaska through Wisconsin and includes California, Florida, New York and Texas, while other outlets differ by one on the exact state total, so the full lot and state tables in the FDA’s enforcement report are the reference for any particular store. The FDA’s enforcement report entry for the event is the document that fixes the lot list.

The scale is the notable part. At 122,021 cases, this is a national-brand recall measured in six figures, triggered by a labeling omission rather than a manufacturing fault in the drink itself. PepsiCo, which owns Gatorade, had not publicly addressed the cause in the coverage reviewed here.

This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.

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