E.Coli Concerns Prompt Massive Bottled Water Recall

By Michelle Sahn:

The company that supplies several Pennsylvania grocery stores with bottled water has issued a recall because one of its source springs may be contaminated with E.coli, according to recall notices.

The stores that are recalling the product include Wegmans, ShopRite, 7-Eleven, Acme, Giant and others.

According to Niagara Bottling, the water was produced at the Hamburg and Allentown facilities between June 10 and 18.

According to the company’s notice, here’s the full list of brand names under which the water was sold:

• Acadia
• Acme
• Big Y
• Best Yet
• 7-Eleven
• Niagara
• Nature’s Place
• Pricerite
• Superchill
• Morning Fresh
• Shaws
• ShopRite
• Western Beef Blue
• Wegmans

To determine if your water is affected, look at the code on the bottle. Only codes that begin with the letters A or F are affected.

“The first digit after the letter indicates the number of the production line. The next two numbers indicate the day, then the month in letters, the year, and then the time, based on a 24-hour clock,” the notice said.

For example, A610JUN15 2000 means the water was produced at Allentown on line 6, and manufactured on June 10, 2015 at 8 p.m. Products made between 3 a.m. June 10 and 8 p.m. June 18 should not be consumed, the notice said.

“Niagara Bottling performs extensive testing on both incoming spring water as well as finished products. We have confirmed there have been no issues or E. coli contamination of any kind detected in our finished products or in the spring water that was delivered to our bottling facility,” the company said in a statement Monday.

“Even if it had been present in the incoming spring water, we utilize quality systems and disinfection technology that would ensure that our product is free from contamination. Despite this, once we were informed of the potential presence of E. coli at the spring source, we immediately shut down our operations, disinfected our bottling lines and initiated a voluntary recall in an abundance of caution and in the interests of consumer safety,” Niagara said in the statement.

Some 16.9 oz. bottles of Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Spring Water are being recalled “out of an abundance of caution,’’ Wegmans said on its website.

No illnesses have been reported and “this bottled water is treated with a continuous ozonation process, a proven kill step for E.coli,’’ the website said.

Additionally, only the following products are part of the recall:


• Wegmans FYFGA Spring Water, 16.9 oz UPC 7789018860
• Wegmans FYFGA Spring Water, 16.9 oz, 12-pack UPC 7789010085
• Wegmans FYFGA Spring Water, 16.9 oz, 24-pack UPC 7789028768
• Wegmans FYFGA Spring Water, 16.9 oz, 35-pack UPC 7789029365

No other sizes or code dates are affected by the recall issued by Niagara Bottling. All products may be returned for a full refund. For more information, call Wegmans Consumer Affairs at 1-855-934-3663, Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“As the spring source did not notify us in a timely manner, we have discontinued the use of this source,’’ the notice from Niagara Bottling said.