RECALL NOTICE – Hawaiian Haze, Hawaiian IPA and Reef Pale – Multiple Batches

21 September 2022
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Ballistic Beer Co. recalls multiple batches of Hawaiian Haze, Hawaiian Haze IPA and Reef Pale due to issue with refermentation and the possibility of exploding cans. 

In the interests of our customers’ safety, Ballistic Beer Co. recalled today multiple batches of Hawaiian Haze, Hawaiian Haze IPA and Reef Pale from national, independent and regional retail stores.  

Ballistic Beer Co’s CEO David Kitchen said that the company became aware of a potential quality issue with the carbonation levels in the product as a result of yeast refermentation. This could lead to the possibility of a can exploding and an increase in the ABV. No injuries from exploding cans have been reported to date. 

The affected product information is: 

Code 

Product 

Batch 

Packed On 

Expiry Date 

HAWHAZ16PK 

Hawaiian Haze 

22084 

15/2/22 

15/11/22 

HAWHAZ16PK 

Hawaiian Haze 

22104 

3/2/22 

3/11/22 

HAWHAZ16PK 

Hawaiian Haze 

22109 

8/3/22 

8/12/22 

HAWHAZ16PK 

Hawaiian Haze 

22111 

17/2/22 

21/2/22 

17/11/22  

21/11/22  

HAWHAZ16PK 

Hawaiian Haze 

22119 

23/2/22 

24/2/22 

23/11/22  

24/11/22 

HAWHAZ16PK 

Hawaiian Haze 

22122 

16/3/22  

17/3/22  

21/3/22 

16/12/22 

17/12/22  

 21/12/22 

HAWHAZ16PK 

Hawaiian Haze 

22130 

22/3/22 

22/12/22 

HAWHAZ16PK 

Hawaiian Haze 

22131 

30/3/22 

30/12/22 

HAWHAZ16PK 

Hawaiian Haze 

22143 

11/5/22 

13/5/22 

11/2/23 

13/2/23 

HAWHAZ16PK 

Hawaiian Haze 

22148 

27/5/22 

28/5/22 

27/2/23  

28/2/23 

HAWHAZ16PK 

Hawaiian Haze IPA 

22124 

15/3/22 

16/3/22 

15/12/22  

 16/12/22 

REEPAL24PK 

Reef Pale Ale  

22150 

3/5/22 

3/2/23  

4/2/23 

 

“As soon as we detected an issue, we contacted FSANZ to conduct a recall and have notified all relevant retailers. After identifying the issue, we have changed our yeast management process to prevent a reoccurrence” Mr Kitchen said. 

Any consumers who have the affected product should not consume or open the product and should dispose of the product in a safe manner. When disposing of the product, we recommend you wear eye protection and gloves, and that cans are stored in a sturdy box or covered with a towel/blanket and placed carefully into the rubbish bin. Customers can reach out to the place of purchase or contact Ballistic Beer Co. using the details for a full refund or replacement.   

Mr Kitchen said that anyone impacted by this product recall should contact Ballistic Beer Co. to organise a refund or replacement by emailing recall@ballisticbeer.com.au or phoning 07 3733 3634. Any remaining cans will be destroyed in a safe manner. 

We are sorry to have released a beer that has failed to meet the high standards we aim to provide to our loyal customers and for any inconvenience that has been caused. 

You can read more info from FSANZ here.

FAQs

Are we refunding customers? 

Yes, we are legally required to offer either a refund or replacement product at the customer’s election. Alternatively, customers can contact Ballistic Beer Co. by emailing recall@ballisticbeer.com.au or phoning 07 3733 3634 so that we can offer them either option.  

Does this affect all products?  

This recall only relates to certain batches of products. Please refer to the Recall advertisement for specific product and batch details. 

Why is the product being recalled? 

The recall relates to variable carbonation levels as a result of yeast refermenting in cans, generating additional CO2, and increasing the pressure inside the can. This could lead to the possibility of a can exploding. The ABV may also be raised as a result of the refermentation. Not all cans from each batch have excessive carbonation but in the interest of the safety of our consumers, we have decided to recall all products from the affected batches.  We note that there have been no injuries that have been reported to date. 

How was the issue identified and have there been any injuries?  

The issue was identified after a customer notified Ballistic that there was a bulge in their product. No, there have been no injuries that have been reported.  

Where did the issue come from?  

We have detected the presence of a yeast strain Saccharomyces var. diastaticus which may cause refermentation and produce excess CO2 in the can, which could explode as a result.  After identifying this issue, we have changed our yeast management process, including moving to using only commercially prepared dried yeast to prevent recurrence of this issue. 

What about other products?  

All batches of beer from this year (hundreds of batches) are undergoing further tests to make sure nothing is missed.  We have found no other batches of concern. 

Are there health concerns or long-term health risks if I have consumed these products?   

Ballistic recalled the beer for two reasons:
  1. There is a possibility of injury from the can exploding due to excess CO2 in the can from refermentation, and 
  2. As a result of the refermentation, there may be a higher ABV than shown on the can.  
This issue has not occurred in every can, and no injuries from exploding cans have been reported to date.  You can tell you have an affected can by whether it is swollen, and whether the beer gushes out when opened. 
 
If any of the remaining cans are swollen, then you should not consume or open the product and should dispose of the product in a safe manner. When disposing of the product, we recommend you wear eye protection and gloves, and that cans are stored in a sturdy box or covered with a towel/blanket and placed carefully into the rubbish bin. 

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