Don't Eat Poop! A Food Safety Podcast · Food Safety Specialists: Matthew Regusci and Francine L Shaw

Whoops! The Celsius Recall and the Very Real Risks of Finding Alcohol in Non-Alcoholic Beverages | Episode 132

September 16, 2025·39 min·3 clips

Matt shares how he needed vodka in his morning coffee just to function, revealing the depths of his alcoholism.

This episode features hosts Francine L. Shaw and Matt Regacci discussing a beverage recall and the personal risks of undisclosed alcohol. Matt shares his detailed history with alcoholism to frame the professional food safety discussion. The central topic is the July 2025 recall where Highnoon vodka seltzers were accidentally packaged and labeled as Celsius Astro Vibe energy drinks. The recall was initiated after a shared packaging supplier mistakenly sent empty Celsius cans to Highnoon's production line. These mislabeled cans, filled with alcoholic seltzer, were shipped to retailers in Florida, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin from July 21st to July 23rd. Matt explains he personally drinks Celsius and enjoys the Astro Vibe Blue Razz flavor involved in the mix-up. Highnoon stated an unspecified number of cans in its beach variety packs were affected, and no illnesses had been reported at the time. Matt recounts starting to drink wine nightly at age 12 with his grandmother and maintaining a nightly drinking habit until the COVID-19 pandemic. His consumption escalated to a physical dependency, requiring him to drink a 1.75-liter handle of vodka every two to three days, even adding it to his morning coffee. A major personal crisis involving taking in four new teenagers intensified his drinking, leading him to be inebriated daily for about two years. He entered Alcoholics Anonymous on February 6th, roughly two and a half years before recording, after his wife expressed she could not watch him "burn everything down." A key insight is Matt's fear that an accidental sip of alcohol could trigger a relapse, illustrated by a story where a waitress accidentally gave him a real Heineken. He describes the visceral reaction to the taste and his concern that one drink could restart the addiction cycle. The hosts note that for someone in recovery, unknowingly consuming a mislabeled alcoholic beverage like the recalled Celsius could have devastating consequences beyond immediate illness. Matt argues the factory error highlights a quality control failure, questioning where the inspection was for two days of production. The tone is deeply personal and confessional, with Matt's extended narrative creating an intimate, vulnerable atmosphere. The style is a conversational blend of personal testimony and professional analysis of a supply chain failure. This episode would deeply resonate with listeners interested in addiction recovery stories or those in the food and beverage industry concerned with labeling and quality control protocols. Listeners seeking a brief, strictly technical analysis of the recall might find the extensive personal preface less aligned with their interests.

As heard by us

A loose, practical food safety conversation shaped by lived experience.

Francine Shaw and Matt Ragucci keep the conversation centered on food safety culture, mixing serious work with a loose, personal tone. They discuss building Food Safety Family, the aim of making food safety feel inclusive and grounded, and the day-to-day habits that help protect…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want the real-world food safety angle behind a mess in the supply chain.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Don't Eat Poop! A Food Safety Podcast