The manufacturers of New Zealand's most sought-after chocolate milk have expressed concern after a photo of a counterfeit was posted online.
The image of chocolate milk in a Lewis Road Creamery bottle, without its trademark Whittaker's logo and gold cap, was posted to Facebook and shared on Reddit today. The silver-capped bottle would ordinarily contain Lewis Road's standard milk product.
Comments posted below the as-yet unverified image suggest the milk was purchased at a dairy in Ponsonby, Auckland.
The chocolate milk has been in short supply at supermarkets around the North Island, with some retailers limiting purchases to one or two per person.
Spokeswoman Angela Weeks confirmed Lewis Road was aware of the image and had health and safety concerns about the sale of counterfeit milk products.
"[We] love the fact Kiwis are using their ingenuity to make their own versions of our milk at home, with a block of Whittaker's and a bottle of Lewis Road Creamery milk," she says.
"However, we don't support people making and selling counterfeit versions of our product, as this could be a potential health risk to consumers."
Ms Weeks encouraged customers to look for the distinguishable gold-topped bottle with a tamper-proof lid and 'Lewis Road Creamery Fresh Chocolate Milk' on its label.
Any sales of counterfeit products should be reported to Lewis Road, she said.
Ms Weeks confirmed retailers had been buying genuine bottles of the chocolate milk and onselling it at a higher price – which they were entitled to do.
Lewis Road has stepped up its production and is working "around the clock" to cope with the demand for the milk.
3 News
source: newshub archive
