NZ Muscle is one of the more familiar names in the New Zealand sports nutrition space, operating as both a retailer and a house brand with a deep selection of protein powders, pre-workouts, hydration products, creatine, beverages, and everything in between. This month, however, the long-running company has been thrown into a very different spotlight, following serious allegations around product handling, labeling, and overall food safety practices.
It all started with a very well-put-together video by Kino House Investigates featuring a former NZ Muscle employee and supplement industry figures alleging questionable labeling, packing, and food handling practices. Additional claims include products being repackaged in non-food-safe warehouse conditions, a lack of hygiene procedures, insufficient ingredient verification on some creatine products, and the concealment of negative customer reviews.
The issue has since escalated into a New Zealand Food Safety investigation, and as a result, NZ Muscle is recalling select NZ Muscle Creatine Monohydrate and No Brand Creatine Monohydrate products due to the possible presence of undeclared milk. The affected 200g, 500g, and 1kg sizes carry a best-before date of June 27th, 2027, creating obvious concern for consumers with allergies.
NZ Muscle has acknowledged packaging and food safety issues across several lines, including No Brand, NZ Muscle, and Shotgun creatine, while also removing some inappropriately relabeled whey and isolate products. The company says affected creatine items have been pulled from its physical stores and online, refunds are available, and it is cooperating with regulators, as New Zealand Food Safety and the Commerce Commission continue looking into the matter.
