Sickening Stella Suds

CFIA, Labatt issuing warning over possibly tampered Stella Artois bottles

Labatt Breweries and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are issuing a consumer advisory over bottles of Stella Artois (AR'-twah) beer that may have been tampered with.

The six 330-millilitre single-serve bottles were sold only in restaurants and bars and bear best before dates of November and December of 2005. Canadian Food Inspection Agency official said new labels appeared to have been glued over the originals on the neck of the bottles.

The bottles had also been opened and a concentrated alcohol placed inside.

The suspected tampering incidents occurred with beers sold at restaurants and bars in Toronto and Kamloops, B.C.

Garfield Balsom of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says that no one fell ill, but that bar and restaurant patrons who drank the beer tasted the alcohol and generally spat it back out within seconds.

Restaurants and bars are being advised to check Stella Artois beer bottles for the affected best before end and production codes before serving.

There are no reported incidents involving product purchased at beer or liquor stores.

Police are investigating.

Source: CBC.ca