By JAMES GARDINER
DB Breweries is under investigation by the Commerce Commission over the labelling and origin of its Tui beer sold in cans and stubbies.
The beer is made in Auckland but the labels imply it comes from the Tui Brewery at Mangatainoka in northern Wairarapa.
Fresh from the public relations
disaster that saw it back down on plans to shut its Monteith's Brewery in Greymouth and make Monteith's in Auckland, DB could face a fine of up to $100,000 if found to have breached the Fair Trading Act.
Section 13 (j) of the act prohibits false or misleading representation concerning the place of origin of goods.
Commission spokesman Vince Cholewa said its investigators would decide whether a breach had occurred.
If DB was in breach it could be warned or a settlement reached including signed undertakings from the company about how behaviour would change. The alternative was prosecution under the act.
Tui, like Monteith's, is one of DB's success stories, one of the fastest-growing "brown beers" on the market, said managing director Brian Blake.
Traditionally a central and southern North Island favourite, it has been heavily marketed nationally recently - and much of the focus of the advertising has been on the historic Tui Brewery, between Woodville and Pahiatua.
Mr Blake told the Weekend Herald last year that only the beer in the 745ml "quart" bottles and some kegs was still brewed at Mangatainoka, which has a staff of 25. However, the only reference to the origin of Tui on the labels of the 330ml stubbies and cans is "State Highway 2, Mangatainoka."
DB spokeswoman Jo Jalfon said yesterday that she was unaware of the commission's investigation and shocked by the news.
Mr Cholewa said it was typical for the commission to do preparatory work before contacting the subject of an investigation.
