Australia searches for culprit hiding needles in strawberries
There have been at least seven reported cases in three Australian states, raising concerns that copycats are working separately to contaminate the berries
It’s a crime so strange that any motive seems nearly inconceivable: In Australia, someone is placing sewing needles inside strawberries – endangering those who eat them and sending panic across strawberry markets as prices plummet and government officials scramble to find a culprit.
In recent days, a number of people in Australia have opened boxes of strawberries they bought at supermarkets, only to find that the fruit has small sewing needles or pins stuck inside. At least one person claims to have inadvertently swallowed one.
Some Australians have posted photos on social media showing needles they found in their berries. The Australian newspaper reported that there have been at least seven reported cases in three Australian states, raising concerns that copycats are working separately to contaminate the berries.
The strawberry industry in the state of Queensland is worth around US$93 million annually, and the government there announced this week that it would offer a reward of roughly US$70,000 for anyone with information about the culprit behind the strange attack on strawberries.
“Someone is trying to sabotage the industry but also in doing that, they are putting babies’ and children’s and families’ lives at risk,” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said at a news conference this week. “It is simply unacceptable. I am furious about this.”
Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported that as consumers have shied away from purchasing the fruit over fears it will be contaminated with needles, farmers have ended up throwing out mass quantities of the strawberries they can’t sell. The broadcaster also said wholesale prices have dropped by around half.