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A missing word on an ingredient label might seem minor — until it quietly affects hundreds of thousands of bottles sitting on store shelves nationwide. More than 122,000 cases of Gatorade are being voluntarily recalled due to undeclared food dyes, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Which Flavors Are Affected

The recall covers cases of Gatorade Lemon Lime, Gatorade Lemon Lime Zero, Gatorade Orange and Gatorade Orange Zero, all of which were distributed across more than two dozen states, the FDA said.

The Specific Problem Behind the Recall

The affected products are 28-ounce bottles of Gatorade Lemon Lime, Lemon Lime Zero, Orange and Orange Zero that failed to declare the presence of Yellow No. 6 and/or Yellow No. 5 color additives. These bottles carry lot dates spanning April 2027, May 2027 and June 2027. A complete list of lot dates and the specific states where the recalled drinks were distributed is available on the FDA's website.

How the Recall Was Classified

According to the FDA, the recall was initiated Sept. 25, and the agency formally classified it on Oct. 2 as a Class II recall — meaning exposure to or consumption of the affected Gatorade products "may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote." It's a middle-tier classification, serious enough to warrant action, but not placed in the FDA's most severe risk category.

Understanding the Potential Health Risks

The FDA notes that side effects linked to these dyes could include a mild rash or allergic-type asthma, though such reactions remain uncommon across the general population. These symptoms tend to appear more frequently among people who already experience allergic reactions to aspirin — a narrower subset of consumers for whom the undeclared dyes could pose a more tangible concern.

Why Food Dyes Show Up in the First Place

According to the FDA, color additives are commonly found throughout processed foods and beverages, serving a variety of purposes — from adding color to otherwise colorless products, to enhancing existing colors, to evening out color inconsistencies that can develop when foods are exposed to air, light, moisture, temperature changes and other environmental factors.

Awaiting a Response From the Manufacturer

ABC News has reached out to PepsiCo, which owns Gatorade, for comment on the recall.

For consumers managing aspirin sensitivities or similar allergic conditions, checking bottle lot numbers against the FDA's published list may be worth the extra minute — a small precaution against a labeling gap that, while unlikely to cause serious harm, still slipped past the usual safeguards meant to catch it before reaching store shelves.