A disgruntled ex-employee has been blamed for deliberately planting sewing needles in strawberries as thousands of punnets are recalled and a man recovers in hospital.
Consumers are being urged to throw out strawberries purchased over the past week in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria after needles were found inside the fruit.
Industry Development Officer Jennifer Rowling of Queensland Strawberry Growers Association released a statement on Wednesday of the company’s suspicions.
‘At this time, the Queensland Strawberry Growers Association have reason to suspect that a disgruntled ex-employee may have orchestrated the occurrence, wherein sewing needles were found in a number of strawberries, in Queensland and Victoria,’ the statement read.
‘To our current knowledge, two labels, Berry Licious and Berry Obsession are the only affected lines.
‘We will update the Australian public as news becomes available to us.’
A man has posted a picture of a sewing needle sticking out of a strawberry, claiming his friend had to be taken to the emergency room after swallowing another on Sunday afternoon
Health officials and police on Wednesday said needles were hidden in at least three punnets of strawberries supplied to Woolworths from a southeast Queensland farm.
Authorities are investigating the contamination after a man reported swallowing a strawberry with a needle on Sunday.
Needles have been found in packets in two Woolworths stores in Victoria and another in Queensland with an urgent recall underway.
The farm where the strawberries were sourced sells to stores in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
Joshua Gane was driving with his friend, Haoni van Dorp on Sunday afternoon, when they went into the Strathpine Centre Woolworths, about 20km north of Brisbane.
Buying a punnet of strawberries, the two men left the supermarket and kept driving.
Soon after, van Dorp says he bit into one and swallowed half of a sewing needle, before the pair found another.
Haoni van Dorp (pictured) bit into one of the strawberries and swallowed half of a sewing needle
Police believe the needles may have been deliberately planted with the perpetrator wanting to cause harm.
Gane posted the ordeal to Facebook, along with a picture that shows a metal pin poking out of a strawberry.
He said they took apart the rest of the strawberries, finding another pin.
He said his friend had to be taken to the emergency room with ‘severe abdomen pain’.
The pictures on Facebook show a metal pin sticking out of the strawberry, but the men aren’t sure how it came to be there.
Gane said the store manager contacted him following the incident, and told him they suspected foul play.
He wrote it was unclear who planted the needle, but said police and health and safety officials were called.
Queensland Police have now commenced an investigation into the contamination of the affected strawberry brands – Berry Obsession and Berry Licious.
Authorities are liasing with retailes to ensure all stock is removed from sale to prevent any further incidents.
He says after swallowing the needle, they took apart the rest of the berries and found another
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said anyone else who had bought the brands of strawberries without signs of tampering should return them to the store or throw them away.
‘While it is expected that berries picked early last week would now not be useable, many people freeze the fruit for later use,’ she said.
‘If you are in doubt, just throw them out.
She said that any strawberries bought from September 13 are safe and said this incident does not mean you stop eating strawberries.
‘Any strawberries that you are certain are not the brands Berry Licious and Berry Obsession, are safe.
‘If you believe you have eaten a needle, we would recommend you speak to your doctor or call 13 HEALTH.
‘There is no reason to stop eating strawberries, we just need to be aware of this incident.’
A spokesperson for Woolworths said the brand of berries have been ‘temporarily withdrawn’ from shelves, after the two men bought their punnet from the Strathpine Centre Woolworths
A Woolworths spokesperson said the ‘Berry Obsessions’ brand has been ‘temporarily withdrawn’ from shelves wherever they are supplied.
‘Woolworths takes food safety very seriously and we are looking into these claims with our supplier,’ they said in a statement.
‘We are working closely with authorities as they investigate this matter.
‘We have withdrawn Berry Obsession and Berrylicious branded strawberries from sale while this incident is being investigated.’