A California food maker pulled more than 44,000 cans of Walmart’s Great Value fruit cocktail off shelves after tests pointed to possible lead contamination.
Quick Take
- Pacific Coast Producers voluntarily recalled 1,836 cases, or 44,064 cans, of Great Value Fruit Cocktail on October 1, 2026.
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified the recall as Class II on October 20, 2026.
- Cans went to stores in Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wyoming.
- Shoppers can check a specific UPC, lot number, and best-by date to see if their can is affected.
What Triggered The Recall And Who Made The Call
Pacific Coast Producers, a California-based food company, voluntarily pulled the fruit cocktail from the market on October 1, 2026. The company makes the product for Walmart’s Great Value brand. Reporting tied to the FDA’s enforcement record names Pacific Coast Producers as the party that acted, not Walmart directly, even though the cans carry Walmart’s store-brand label.
The recall covers 15-ounce cans of Great Value Fruit Cocktail in Fruit Juice from Concentrate. The exact count is 1,836 cases, each holding 24 cans, for a total of 44,064 cans. That batch reached stores in seven states: Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wyoming.
How To Check If Your Can Is On The List
Shoppers with Great Value fruit cocktail in the pantry should look for three details on the can. The UPC is 078742369570. The lot code is 6FCB 04 C2263. The best-if-used-by date reads September 1, 2027. Cans matching all three should not be eaten and should be tossed or returned to the store for a refund.
The stated reason for the recall is “potential contamination with elevated levels of lead,” language pulled straight from the recall notice. That phrase describes a risk the company and regulators decided was serious enough to act on, even before all the lab details became public. The public record does not include the measured lead level or the specific test that flagged the problem.
What The Government’s Risk Rating Actually Means
The FDA classified this as a Class II recall on October 20, 2026. That rating sits in the middle of the agency’s three-tier system. It means the product might cause temporary or reversible health problems, but serious harm is unlikely. Class II is neither the most severe warning the FDA issues nor a sign the concern is minor.
No confirmed illnesses tied to this product have been reported in the available record. That distinction matters. A recall at this stage reflects a precaution based on a possible hazard, not proof that anyone got sick from eating the fruit cocktail. Lead exposure, especially for small children, carries long-term risks even at low levels, which is why regulators tend to act fast once a concern surfaces.
Why Canned Food Recalls Like This Keep Happening
This recall fits a pattern that keeps showing up in the FDA’s enforcement records. Other recent actions have targeted canned pears for possible lead and cadmium, cinnamon products for elevated lead, and cookware that can leach lead into food during cooking. Lead can enter the food supply through contaminated ingredients, processing equipment, packaging, or imported raw materials.
RECALL ALERT ⚠️: A voluntary recall over lead concerns has been issued for cans of Walmart fruit cocktail distributed to stores in at least seven states, including Alabama.
Go to the link in our bio to read more. pic.twitter.com/81NCXBuc3L
— WTVY News 4 (@WTVYNews4) October 28, 2026
None of that makes canned fruit uniquely risky. It points to a food safety system built to catch problems at many points in the supply chain, from farm to factory to the shelf. For consumers, the practical takeaway stays simple: check your cans against the specific lot and date listed, and don’t let a scary headline about “lead” turn into needless panic over cans that don’t match the recall details.
In the available reporting, Walmart has not issued a separate public statement beyond the manufacturer’s recall notice, and the exact source of the possible lead contamination has not been disclosed. Consumers who bought the affected lot should act on the specific identifiers rather than the general brand name alone, since only one lot code is involved.
Sources:
washingtontimes.com, people.com, morningstar.com, al.com
