Consumers in New Zealand have been put on alert after needles were found in a punnet of strawberries coming from neighboring Australia, where authorities are investigating dozens of similar incidents that have occurred over the past weeks.

New Zealand's Countdown supermarket chain said it had taken a brand of Australian strawberries off the shelves after the needles were found in produce sold at one of its branches.

"Needles were found in a punnet of strawberries sourced from Western Australia, which was bought in a Countdown supermarket in Auckland," a major city on New Zealand's North Island, the company said in a statement on Sunday.

"As an extra precaution and following similar advice from public health authorities in Australia, customers should cut up any Australian strawberries before eating them," the statement said.

It remains unclear where the strawberries were tampered with.

Read more: German police say supermarket food poisoner suspect has confessed

'Food terrorists'

Countdown said it was in contact with authorities both at home and in Australia involved in investigating the matter.

So far it is the only case of such tampering reported from New Zealand, whereas Australia has seen more than 100 alleged cases of needles found in strawberries, bananas and apples. Investigators there fear that initial reports earlier this month about fruit from the northeastern state of Queensland might have inspired copycat actions, though some reported incidents have been revealed as social-media hoaxes.

One of Australia's major supermarket chains, Woolworths Australia, which is Countdown's parent company, has withdrawn sewing needles from sale as a "precautionary step."

Last week, the Australian government raised the maximum sentence for people found tampering with food — "food terrorists," as they have been labelled in Australian media — from 10 to 15 years in prison in a fast-tracked procedure.

Food tampering scandals that shocked the world September 2018: Needles in Australia's strawberries Australia's government launched an official probe after sewing needles were found stuck inside strawberries across the country. Reports of the tampered berries popped up in six out of the country's seven states, with officials worried about copycat cases. At least one person was taken to the hospital after eating a strawberry with a needle inside.

Food tampering scandals that shocked the world January 2018: Pins found in German bread Consumers in Australia weren't the only ones to take cautious bites out of their food this year. In January, metal pins were found stuck in food from a grocery store in the southwestern German town of Offenburg. The pins were found in in several bakery items, including toast bread, as well as a salami snack.

Food tampering scandals that shocked the world 2017: Poisoned baby food and extortion in Germany Parents across Germany were sent into a panic last September after authorities found baby food jars in Friedrichshafen laced with ethylene glycol — the sweet-tasting compound used in antifreeze. It can cause kidney failure and even death. A 55-year-old man threatened to poison more food in German supermarkets if he didn't receive €10 million ($12 million). He was later arrested and confessed.

Food tampering scandals that shocked the world 2016: Deadly sweets in Pakistan More than 30 people died in the Punjab province of Pakistan after eating laddu, a baked sweet, that had been purposely poisoned. The brother of the sweet shop owner later admitted to police that he'd mixed a potent pesticide into the sweets after a family argument. More than 70 people were affected by the poisoned treats.

Food tampering scandals that shocked the world 2003: The 'Aquabomber' strikes in Italy Supermarkets in Italy were on high alert for several months in 2003 over contaminated water bottles. Bleach and acetone was injected into the tops of water bottles using a syringe. Police at the time believed that the unknown suspect or suspects belonged to radical anti-capitalist or environmentalist groups. Over a dozen people became sick after drinking the tainted water.

Food tampering scandals that shocked the world 1982: The Tylenol murders It was the case that started it all — seven people in the US city of Chicago died after taking Tylenol-branded pain relief pills that had been laced with potassium cyanide. No one was ever charged for the deaths and the case remains unsolved. The deaths prompted pharmaceutical companies to develop packaging that is tamper-resistant. Author: Rebecca Staudenmaier



tj/jlw (dpa, AFP)

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.