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Coors Is Pulling These Popular Beers From Shelves Amid Controversy

The move comes as customers have begun posting shocking videos of the products.

Whether you're meeting up with friends after work or relaxing after mowing the lawn, unwinding with a cold beer in your hand has remained a pastime for centuries. And as warm summer weather returns, you'll probably be even more likely to share some of your favorite brews with friends and families at backyard barbecues and poolside get-togethers. But if you're a devoted fan of one major brewery, it may be harder to find your go-to cans in the coming weeks. That's because Coors is pulling two of its most popular beers from shelves amid a bit of social media-related controversy. Read on to see why these iconic brews are part of a recall.

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Food and beverage recalls are not uncommon, both for safety and quality control issues.

Beer fridge at retail store
Mihai_Andritoiu / Shutterstock.com

In recent weeks, food and beverage recalls have affected dozens of products in the U.S. due to serious health threats they can pose. The long list includes a popular cheese brand potentially contaminated with listeria, a tea beverage pulled from shelves due to hepatitis A concerns, and a string of recalls related to Jif peanut butter that's possibly tainted with Salmonella bacteria.

However, not all recalls are due to microbial contamination or health concerns: some are related to overall quality control. In July 2021, Wellington Brewery released a statement recalling Pinwheel Pineapple Gose beer after discovering "that some cans have undergone secondary fermentation, causing higher levels of CO2 in the cans" and putting them at risk of exploding at higher temperatures—even though the beer itself was safe to drink. But now, two iconic beers are getting pulled from shelves over product quality issues.

Coors is recalling two popular beers due to quality control issues at one production facility.

person holding out hand to indicate they don't want a glass of beer
Shutterstock/Mateone

On June 8, grocery store chain Dierbergs Markets announced that it was pulling all lots of Coors Light and Keystone Light beers from shelves. The affected products include Coors Light 12 oz. cans sold in 12 packs, 18 packs, 24 packs, and 30 packs, as well as Keystone Light 12 oz. cans sold in 15 packs and 24 packs.

"Molson Coors recently became aware of a quality issue on certain 12 oz. can packages of Coors Light and Keystone Light produced solely at the Trenton Brewery (production site 1020)," the store wrote in the announcement. "While there are no food safety risks associated with the product, Molson Coors is choosing to withdraw it from the market as to not disappoint consumers."

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Customers recently caused controversy after posting videos of the popular beers on social media.

Large 36 packs of Coors Light beer cases on a pallet at Costco warehouse.
ZikG / Shutterstock

The recall comes just days after customers took to social media to post videos of the product that have managed to cause a degree of controversy surrounding the products, internet fact-checking website Snopes first reported. One clip posted to TikTok that has since been viewed more than 3 million times shows one customer pouring what appears to be slime out of a can of Coors Light, saying it's the "second one we've had." And in a second video posted to TikTok, another user shows a can of Keystone Light pouring a similarly viscous liquid while saying it's "the second beer I've gotten this way out of two different cases" and describing it as "thick and syrupy like…slobber."

It remains unclear if the social media videos are related to the latest product recall.

Beer
Shutterstock

According to Snopes, attempts to verify the location of where the videos were made have so far been unsuccessful, ultimately concluding that there's no definitive evidence that they're related to the pulled products. However, while Molson Coors did not comment on the videos themselves, they did offer an explanation as to the recently issued supermarket recall of Coors Light and Keystone Light.

"At Molson Coors, quality is our top priority, so when we recently became aware of a quality issue on some packs of Coors Light and Keystone Light produced at the Trenton Brewery, we chose to voluntarily withdraw those packs from the market," the brewery conglomerate told Snopes in an email when reached for comment. "While we have chosen to voluntarily withdraw these packs, there are no food health risks associated with the product. The issue was with one can line that exclusively produces 12 oz. tall cans, it impacted only [sic] a small percentage of cans produced on the line and it has since been resolved. Work is already underway to replenish inventory as quickly as possible and because our national inventory position on these SKUs is stronger than it has been in years we are able to divert production into this market area from other breweries beginning this week."

According to the Dierbegs Markets notice, anyone with questions or concerns over the recall or product issues can call the Molson Coors quality hotline printed on each can at 1-800-645-5376. Customers affected by the store's recall can also return the items for a full refund.

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Zachary Mack
Zach is a freelance writer specializing in beer, wine, food, spirits, and travel. He is based in Manhattan. Read more
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