Over 25,000 Cases Of Starbucks' Bottled Vanilla Frappuccino Recalled

Starbucks store-bought iced coffee drinks have become nearly as common as the coffee shops themselves, lining shelves in grocery stores and 7-Elevens around the country since their introduction in 1996. For the rare person who can't throw a stone and hit a Starbucks or is too busy to stop for a coffee, the bottled drinks provide a decent approximation of the chain's most popular drinks with even more convenience. In fact, part of that convenience involves the fact that having bottled coffee in your fridge means you don't have to think about it at all.

Convenience can come at a price, however, and this is in the case of a recall of Starbucks' bottled vanilla Frappuccinos that was initiated on January 28, 2023, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Although, these are not the only Starbucks products that have fallen victim to being removed from shelves. 

The FDA issued a recall in August 2022 for Starbucks' Vanilla Espresso Triple Shot cans that were contaminated with metal fragments. That was hot on the heels of a much larger recall of 250,000 Doubleshot Espresso cases in March of the same year, which Food Safety News reports could have been prematurely spoiled. Now that run of recalls has come to claim the coffee chain's chilled vanilla drink, with yet another instance of foreign product contamination.

There aren't many things that could mess up your morning cup of joe or bottle of coffee more than a piece of glass — and unfortunately, that is exactly what Starbucks is dealing with. The FDA's recall for cases of Starbucks' bottled vanilla Frappuccinos is over concerns they may have glass objects in them. It affects over 25,000 cases of the drink, and with 12 bottles in each case, that means over 300,000 bottles could be contaminated. So if you're a fan of the vanilla-based coffee, you may want to stick to making your brew at home until resolved.

Two facts about the recall make it more concerning. First, the recall order has been issued nationwide, so even if a select group of bottled drinks was contaminated, no part of the country where these drinks are sold is clearly safe. Second, some of the offending Frappuccinos have an expiration date as late as June 10, 2023, so it's possible contaminated drinks could have already been purchased but not consumed yet. 

If you have any of these drinks yourself, or if you know someone who likes them, it's best to be safe and ensure they are disposed of or returned to where they were purchased. So many of us need our morning hit of caffeine, but the risk of swallowing a hunk of glass is not worth it.