SYDNEY: A woman reportedly found a needle inside an apple she purchased from a supermarket in Sydney, reported Australian media on Tuesday (Sep 18), just days after needles were found in strawberries in several Australian states.

News.com reported, citing The Seven Network, that the needle was found in a pack of Pink Lady apples purchased from a Woolworths supermarket in The Ponds.



The mother is said to have found the needle while peeling an apple for her daughters on Tuesday.

"I just thought, wow, this can't possibly be happening," the mother told the Seven News Network.

"Not in apples. I'd seen the news about the strawberries and I'd been vigilant about cutting those up for the girls but to see this in an apple..."



New South Wales police said that they are in the process of investigating the incident.

This is the latest in a spate of incidents involving consumers in Australia finding needles in strawberries. A "metal object" was also found in a banana this week.

More than 20 instances of needles in strawberries have been reported in New South Wales alone, Yahoo7 News reported.

Australian authorities have cautioned people to cut their strawberries as a precaution.

Consumers in Queensland were the first to report finding needles embedded inside strawberries, but other Australian states were also affected.

Seven brands of strawberries in Australia are now believed to be contaminated with needles and pins, according to police reports.



The state of Queensland on Saturday offered an AU$100,000 (US$71,500) reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for sabotaging strawberries with sewing needles.



Jamie Michael, who is head of the Western Australia Strawberry Growers Association, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp that his farm had dumped strawberries in the peak of the season and that if shoppers stayed away, some growers would not be able to afford to plant a crop for next year.

