Australia-based beer manufacturer SABMiller Plc took back millions of bottles of beer that allegedly contain broken glass. 

CNN Money reports all beers marked "3" on the boxes or "3A" or "3B" on bottles and have expiration dates between July 19 and 20, 2016 will be withdrawn from the market. They were produced last October by the Carlton & United Breweries in Queensland.

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In a statement, the company admits "This sort of thing is rare but we take the quality of our beers seriously."

The brewer has warned food safety personnel following customer complaints of a chipped glass at the top of beer bottles, said spokeswoman Jennifer Howard. 

Carlton & United Breweries, which was acquired by SABMiller in 2011, said the incident was "a result of packaging" issue.

The company speculates that the chip may have occurred during the bottling process but as to where the broken glass came from remains unknown.

The company claims the situation is currently under investigation but refuses to acknowledge it was an intentional act.

More than 40,000 cases of beer were recalled. The beers are being distributed in big retailers like Woolworths and other bars and restaurants.

With more than 240 million bottles produced yearly, the recall will have a minimal -less than one percent- effect on Carlton's and United's sales.

Meanwhile, SABMiller, the brewer's proprietor, is trying to win over a proposed buyout by the Anheuser-Busch InBev, the biggest beer manufacturer in the world.

If the more than $100 billion deal closes, the acquisition will turn up a super brewery with sales expected to be as much as $55 billion. 

However, regulators are keeping a wary eye on the merger lest it gives birth to a monopoly that might result in higher beer prices. 

TagsCarlton & United Breweries, broken glass on beers, SABMiller Plc, brewery, Anheuser-Busch InBev