Summer shopping often means the cart gets more drink-heavy: canned cider for a backyard visit, horchata mix for a quick cold drink, hot cocoa or frappé powder for blended treats, herbal tea for the cupboard, and energy drinks for long drives or late shifts. This week’s fresh shopper alert is the June 17 Canada recall notice for Ernest Cider brand Sangria Cider in Ontario, but it is also a good moment to do a wider beverage shelf check. The practical takeaway is simple: before you stock the cooler or set out drinks for guests, match the brand, size, UPC and code on the package against current recalls, and keep recalled products away from children, guests and anyone with allergies or sensitivities.
The newest notice is for Ernest Cider Sangria Cider, a 473 ml alcoholic beverage with UPC 0 51497 49945 1 and affected codes ESC-26-238 10/02/27 and ESC-26-238 11/02/27. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency notice says the product is recalled due to yeast, lists Ontario as the distribution area, identifies the recalling firm as Calabogie Brewing Co., and classifies it as a Class 3 recall. The notice tells retailers not to use, sell, serve or distribute the affected product. For households, the smart move is to check any single cans bought for a cottage weekend, barbecue or fridge stock-up, especially if they were separated from their original receipt or packaging. If the code matches, do not serve it; follow the retailer or recall instructions rather than trying to decide by smell or appearance.
Online orders deserve the same attention because pantry products can sit around for months. CFIA’s May 14 food recall warning covers several Ghirardelli powdered beverage mixes due to possible Salmonella contamination, including Premium Hot Cocoa Mix, Perfectly Premium Frappé Mix - Vanilla, Premium Frappé Mix - Mocha, and Sweet Ground White Chocolate Flavoured Powder in listed sizes and codes. The distribution is online, Ontario and possibly other provinces and territories, which means the product may not feel “local” to one grocery trip. CFIA says recalled products should not be consumed, served, used, sold or distributed, and should be thrown out or returned to the place of purchase. Salmonella is especially important because contaminated food may not look or smell spoiled, and the warning notes higher risks for young children, pregnant people, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
Allergen recalls are another reason to slow down when a summer drink mix looks familiar. El Mexicano Agua Fresca de Horchata Instant Horchata Drink, 340 g, UPC 0 42743 19020 4, is under a May 20 notification in Ontario for improperly declared milk; the notice applies to all codes where milk is not properly declared on the label. For shoppers, that means the front of the package is not enough if someone in the home avoids milk or has a milk allergy. A separate May 12 CFIA warning covers DAVIDsTEA Organic Sneeze Ease Herbal Infusion, 50 g, UPC 101202100502, code 000CHA831216, sold online, because it may contain almond not declared on the label. That recall is listed as Class 1, and CFIA says people allergic or sensitive to almond should not consume it. The practical habit: create a small “check before serving” pile for drink mixes and teas bought online, received as gifts, or transferred into kitchen bins.
Energy drinks are not a recall of one brand in this roundup, but Health Canada’s updated public advisory is shopper-relevant as summer coolers and convenience-store stops ramp up. Health Canada says caffeinated energy drinks in Canada can contain a maximum of 180 mg of caffeine per serving, and adults 18 and older should not consume more than 400 mg of caffeine from all sources per day. The advisory says these drinks are not recommended for those under 14, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or people sensitive to caffeine. It also warns that mixing caffeinated energy drinks with alcohol may mask fatigue and drowsiness and could increase the chance of drinking more alcohol than intended. The useful aisle rule is to read the serving size first, because one container may not equal one recommended serving, and to check warning statements before buying multi-packs for a group.
For a quick household beverage audit, start with the highest-risk places: the garage fridge, cottage cooler, basement pantry, office snack shelf, and any online-order overflow box. Check the exact UPC and code, not just the brand name, because only specific lots may be affected. Keep a photo of the recall page or product code if you plan to return an item, and do not donate, resell or give away recalled food or drink. If the issue is an undeclared allergen, treat it seriously even if no one has reacted before; if the issue is microbial contamination, do not taste-test. For shoppers hosting this month, a five-minute check can prevent an awkward or risky situation: verify the cider cans, powder mixes, horchata, herbal tea and energy drinks before they are put out for guests.
Source trail: - Ernest Cider brand Sangria Cider recalled due to yeast - Government of Canada Recalls and Safety Alerts: https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/ernest-cider-brand-sangria-cider-recalled-due-yeast - Ghirardelli brand powdered beverage mixes recalled due to Salmonella - Government of Canada Recalls and Safety Alerts: https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/ghirardelli-brand-powdered-beverage-mixes-recalled-due-salmonella - El Mexicano brand Agua Fresca de Horchata Instant Horchata Drink recalled due to improperly declared milk - Government of Canada Recalls and Safety Alerts: https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/el-mexicano-brand-agua-fresca-horchata-instant-horchata-drink-recalled-due-improperly - DAVIDsTEA brand Organic Sneeze Ease Herbal Infusion recalled due to undeclared almond - Government of Canada Recalls and Safety Alerts: https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/davidstea-brand-organic-sneeze-ease-herbal-infusion-recalled-due-undeclared-almond - Caffeinated energy drinks: what you should know - Health Canada: https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/caffeinated-energy-drinks-what-you-should-know