FDA Announced the Recall of 1.9 Million Water Bottles Due to Quality Issue

On March 4, Natural Waters of Viti Limited (NWVL) recalled 78,533 cases, or almost 1.9 million bottles, of Fiji Water. The voluntary recall was due to testing that found manganese and three bacteria. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported the recall on May 23 under a Class III classification.

The FDA lists a Class III recall as "a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences."

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) notes that certain levels of manganese are important for staying healthy, but the amount depends on age and sex. Further, the NIH says, "Studies have not shown any harm from the manganese in food and beverages, but some people have developed manganese toxicity by consuming water containing very high levels."

According to Fiji Water, there is no risk of manganese toxicity from the recalled water. Specifics on the other three bacteria found are not available at this time but are known to not be harmful.

List of Recalled Fiji Water Bottles

Fiji Natural Artesian Water 500 mL (24-pack)

• Case UPC Code: 6 32565 00004 3
• Bottle UPC Code: 6 32565 00001 2
• Dates: Nov. 11, 2023, Nov. 12, 2023, Nov. 13, 2023, Nov. 24, 2023, Nov. 25, 2023

These were sold through retailers in Washington state and on Amazon.com between Feb. 1, 2024, and March 3, 2024.

According to a spokesperson from Fiji Water, "The FDA classification announced yesterday relates to a matter from several months ago that never posed any health or safety risk. 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 from manganese or bacteria in the recalled lots of Fiji Water. Moreover, Fiji Water conducts regular testing to ensure consumers enjoy the soft, smooth taste of FIJI Water that they expect and love.”

It's not clear at this time why the FDA's recall posting is more recently updated. The return policy for Fiji Water can be found on the company's site.