Great Value fruit cocktail recall pulls cans over lead contamination

More than forty-four thousand cans of Walmart's store-brand fruit cocktail are being pulled from shelves after the manufacturer flagged possible lead contamination. Pacific Coast Producers initiated the Great Value fruit cocktail recall earlier this month, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration classified it as a Class II recall on October 20, according to the agency's enforcement records. Class II means exposure to the product may cause temporary or medically reversible health effects, the FDA says. The product is Great Value Fruit Cocktail in Fruit Juice from Concentrate, sold in 15-ounce cans at Walmart stores in seven states, and the company says no other lots or Great Value products are affected.

The recalled cans were packed into 1,836 cases of 24 cans each and shipped to Walmart locations in Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wyoming, the enforcement listing shows. Because the Great Value fruit cocktail recall started weeks before the FDA's classification, most of the affected cans have likely already left store shelves, Nexstar reports, which is why regulators want shoppers checking pantries at home. Pacific Coast Producers started the recall on its own after spotting the possible contamination, and the agency had received no illness reports tied to the cans when the classification landed.

How to tell if your can is affected

Three details on the packaging settle whether a can falls inside the Great Value fruit cocktail recall. The lot code is 6FCB 04 C2263, the UPC is 078742369570, and the best-if-used-by date is September 1, 2027, according to the FDA's enforcement listing tracked by iwaspoisoned. Only cans carrying that exact lot code are included; the lot code and UPC are printed on the bottom of the can. Anyone who finds a match should not eat the fruit.

What a Class II recall means for shoppers

The FDA sorts recalls into three classes, and Class II sits in the middle: use of the product may cause temporary or reversible health consequences, though the chance of serious harm is considered remote. Lead can occur naturally in trace amounts in some foods, and the FDA monitors levels across the food supply, but the agency says there is no safe level of lead exposure. Children face the highest risk, since heavy exposure can damage the brain and nervous system, according to the FDA. Shoppers with a can covered by the Great Value fruit cocktail recall should skip serving it; it can be thrown away or taken back to Walmart for a refund.

The manufacturer behind the Great Value fruit cocktail recall has been through this before. In September 2025, fruit cocktail and canned pear products sold at Wegmans were recalled over lead concerns and linked to Pacific Coast Producers, The Healthy reports. The current action is also landing during a busy stretch for food safety alerts: several frozen berry products sold at Walmart and Trader Joe's were pulled earlier this month over possible E. coli contamination, according to Nexstar. The Healthy notes that recent months have also seen several cinnamon products recalled over lead concerns, a sign that the metal keeps turning up in pantry staples. Canned goods sit in pantries far longer than fresh produce, so a recall that started weeks ago can still be sitting on a home shelf. The FDA lists this recall's status as ongoing, which means the agency's records could still change if new information comes in.

The recall also shows how far a single store-brand lot can travel. Great Value products sit in nine out of 10 U.S. households, according to 2026 data from the retailer cited by The Healthy, so even a lot-specific alert like the Great Value fruit cocktail recall deserves a quick pantry scan. The affected cans have a long shelf life, with a best-by date nearly a year out, which is exactly why the FDA flags lot codes instead of relying on shoppers to remember a purchase. Compare the numbers on the bottom of the can with the recall listing, and treat anything that matches as off the menu.