More than 122,000 cases of Gatorade distributed across 37 states are under recall after federal regulators found that several products contained undeclared Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6, creating a potential risk for consumers sensitive to the dyes.
FDA classifies the recall as Class II
According to Newsweek, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration classified the recall as Class II on October 2, 2026. The action covers 122,021 cases of 28-ounce bottles of Gatorade Lemon Lime, Gatorade Lemon Lime Zero, Gatorade Orange, and Gatorade Orange Zero.
The products were recalled because their labels did not disclose the presence of Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, or both.
The FDA defines a Class II recall as “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences” or one in which the probability of serious adverse health consequences is considered remote.
That classification places the action below a Class I recall, the agency’s highest-risk category, but it still signals that affected products should be removed from distribution.
PepsiCo voluntarily initiated the recall on September 25. The recall remained active as of the FDA’s October 2 classification.
Why undeclared food dyes matter
The concern does not stem from an outright ban on the two color additives. Both Yellow No. 5, also known as tartrazine, and Yellow No. 6, commonly called Sunset Yellow FCF, are permitted by the FDA when used under approved conditions.
The problem is the labeling.
FDA rules require approved food colorings to appear on product labels so consumers can identify ingredients they may need or want to avoid. That requirement carries added relevance for people who have previously experienced sensitivity reactions to synthetic dyes.
Federal regulations also impose specific labeling requirements for Yellow No. 5 because it can cause allergic-type reactions in some susceptible people. The FDA has stated that those reactions may include bronchial asthma, although sensitivity is considered uncommon in the general population and appears more frequently among people with aspirin hypersensitivity.
Research indexed by the National Library of Medicine has also associated some synthetic food dyes, including Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6, with hypersensitivity reactions such as hives and asthma symptoms in certain individuals.
Four Gatorade varieties are affected
The recall applies to specific production lots of four Gatorade products sold in 28-ounce bottles.
Those products are Gatorade Lemon Lime, Gatorade Lemon Lime Zero, Gatorade Orange, and Gatorade Orange Zero.
Affected bottles were distributed in 37 states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Consumers should not assume that every bottle of those flavors is included. The recall applies to specific lot numbers.
Consumers should check the lot code before drinking
People who have the affected products can compare the printed lot information on their bottles with the codes included in the recall.
The listed lots are:
- 091026 DL – JUN 07 27
- 091126 DL – JUN 08 27
- 072226 DT – APR 18 27
- 072426 TL – APR 20 27
- 073126 TL – APR 27 27
- 072926 TL – APR 25 27
- 073026 TL – APR 25 27
- 081026 TL – MAY 07 27
- 082126 OA – APR 18 27
- 080126 DL – APR 28 27
- 082026 DL – MAY 17 27
- 083126 DT – JUN 07 27
- 082526 KM – MAY 22 27
- 090426 KM – JUN 01 27
- 072726 TL – APR 23 27
Consumers with known sensitivities to food dyes or a history of allergic reactions should be especially careful to verify whether bottles in their possession match the affected production codes.
The recall remains active
At the time the recall was reported, no separate public press release had been issued by PepsiCo, and Newsweek said it had contacted the company for comment.
The FDA’s enforcement information indicates that the action remains ongoing while the company and regulators track the affected products.
The recall covers 122,021 cases of 28-ounce Gatorade bottles distributed across 37 U.S. states.
