Lion NZ has issued a nationwide recall of certain Steinlager Ultra Low Carb beer packs after discovering that some bottles were incorrectly labelled as alcohol-free despite containing alcohol.
According to a report by 1News, the recall affects 2,538 cases of Steinlager Ultra Low Carb packaged in 24-packs of 330ml glass bottles with a best-before date of 21 October 2026. The beer inside the affected bottles contains 4.2% alcohol by volume.
According to the company, the issue came to light after a consumer complaint revealed the labelling mistake.
"We have identified through a consumer complaint, an error in a production run resulting in clear bottles containing Steinlager Ultra Low Carb beer ABV 4.2% incorrectly labelled as Steinlager Alcohol Free, being sold in Steinlager Ultra Low Carb 24-packs. Cases may contain a mix of clear bottles with labels for both products," a Lion spokesperson said in a statement this evening, 1News has quoted.
The company clarified that genuine Steinlager Alcohol Free beer is packaged in green glass bottles, while the mislabelled bottles are clear.
Lion NZ apologised to customers and said it is investigating how the error occurred.
"Consumer safety is our highest priority and we want to sincerely apologise to customers and consumers for any distress or concern caused, as quoted by 1News.
"We will be conducting a full investigation to identify how this error occurred and will be putting steps and processes in place to ensure it does not happen again."
Officials have urged people who avoid alcohol not to drink the recalled product, according to 1News.
New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said people avoiding alcohol "should not consume this product".
"They can return it to the place of purchase for a refund."
The recalled products were sold at retailers and hospitality venues across New Zealand. Authorities confirmed that the items have been removed from store shelves and were not exported, as reported by 1News.
Consumers who have already consumed the product and have health concerns are advised to seek medical advice or contact Healthline on 0800 611 116.
"As is our usual practice, NZFS will work with Lion NZ to understand how this happened and prevent it recurring," Arbuckle said, 1News has quoted.
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