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A popular lemonade recall has received an update, as the drink contains a food additive linked to an increased cancer risk.
On January 31, Oak Cliff Beverage Works issued a voluntary recall of its Beverage Base Lemonade, which was sold in three and five-gallon containers. The five-gallon products have a Best By date of January 1, 2026, while the three-gallon ones have a Best By date of December 12, 2025.
The recall involves 8,847 units of the lemonade, as noted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Affected products were sold in eight states: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
The product was recalled due to an undeclared presence of a synthetic food dye, Yellow 5, in the drink.
On February 25, the recall on the Beverage Base Lemonade was classified as a Class II recall. This classification means the recall is “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote,” according to the FDA.
Various animal studies have linked Yellow 5, also known as tartrazine, to cancer. As shown in a 2024 study published in the journal Science, the skin and muscle tissues of live mice turned transparent when tartrazine was applied to them.
A 2015 study published by Anticancer Research also found that Yellow 5 caused damage to human white blood cells after three hours of exposure to the synthetic dye. Ultimately, researchers found that being exposed to Yellow 5 over time can make tumor growth and cancer more likely.
The classification of the recall, due to Yellow 5, comes after the FDA banned the dye known as Red 3 from the nation’s food supply. Red 3 has often been used in candies, cough syrup, baked goods, and frozen treats.
The agency said it was taking the action because studies found that the dye, also known as erythrosine, caused cancer in lab rats. A federal statute requires the FDA to ban any additive found to cause cancer in animals, though officials stressed that the way Red 3 leads to cancer in rats doesn’t happen in people.
Nine dyes, including Yellow 5, have been allowed in U.S. food. The other common color additives in food are Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, and Yellow 6. Two permitted colors are used more rarely: Citrus Red 2 and Orange B.
There have already been a slew of food recalls in 2025. Earlier this month, Tri-Union Seafoods announced a voluntary recall of select canned tuna products sold under the Genova, Van Camp’s, H-E-B, and Trader Joe’s brands. These products were distributed nationwide at retailers such as Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Costco, Kroger, and Publix.
Tri-Union Seafoods initiated the recall after its supplier discovered a manufacturing defect in the tuna cans’ “easy open” lids. The defect could “compromise the integrity of the product seal (especially over time), causing it to leak, or worse, be contaminated with clostridium botulinum,” a bacteria that causes foodborne botulism and can be fatal.
Also in February, the FDA issued a report about 60 different baked goods from FGF, LLC, which were distributed in grocery stores throughout the U.S. The recall, which was completed in January, affected a total of 2,0176,614 cases of the different baked goods, due to the “potential for contamination with listeria,” a bacteria that can contaminate many foods and cause infections.
