A massive recall has been issued for bottled Fiji Water over concerns of bacterial contamination and elevated levels of manganese.
The recall was originally initiated by the manufacturer, Natural Waters of Viti Limited, in March after it received complaints of discoloration, but was only publicized last week after the Food and Drug Administration issued an enforcement report.
According to the report, the recall includes 78,533 cases of Fiji Water -- approximately 1.9 million bottles -- that were sold nationwide on Amazon between February 1 and March 3.
The report indicates that testing by the manufacturer found "manganese in addition to three bacterial genera" in cases of water. The recall is classified by the FDA as "Class III," which designates "a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences."
According to the CDC, manganese is a trace element needed to stay healthy, but at high levels can cause damage to the brain.
Instead of a public notice being issued when the recall was initiated, customers who purchased the recalled items were directly notified of the recall by Amazon.
The company finally addressed the recall on May 29 in a post on X.
"The classification announced May 23 relates to a matter from months ago and has been resolved," the post said. "It involved a limited amount of products sold only through Amazon.com and never posed any health or safety risk. There is currently no issue of concern with FIJI Water."
A spokesperson for the company told USA Today that a press notice was not distributed when the recall was initiated because they didn't want to cause "unnecessary public concern" since customers who bought the water had been identified and contacted.
"The affected products were immediately and voluntarily recalled, with 99% of affected bottles reclaimed from warehouses and the remainder in warehouses to be returned," the statement said.
Customers who have concerns about the recall should contact Fiji Water at 888-426-4602.