All NZ-bound strawberries to be screened for tampering – Peters

All strawberries imported to New Zealand from Australia will be subject to a screening process across the Tasman before hitting New Zealand supermarket shelves, the Government has said.

This follows Countdown withdrawing the Australian Choice brand of strawberries from its stores after needles were found in a punnet in their St Lukes, Auckland, supermarket.

Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters said there will be “no more strawberries coming into this country without [them] all being screened, into the future.”

In a statement, Minister of Agricul- ture Damien O’Connor said the Government takes a proportionate approach to all risk.

“Like all food imports, strawberries from Australia are supported by government-to-government assurances.

“In this instance, to manage a criminal threat, Australian authorities have decided to impose metal detec- tion screening exports.”

New Zealand Police have confirmed an investigation is underway concerning the Countdown sabotage but Detective Superintendent Tim Anderson said it is still too early to comment in any detail.

He is asking the public to contact Police immediately if anything sus- of all strawberry picious is found in food products.

Earlier, O’Connor asked New Zealanders not to overreact, as it is “just one punnet of strawberries where some idiot has put something into it”.

NZ Food Safety and the Police are in the process of conducting an inquiry into finding “the idiot”, he said. “Clearly this is a criminal act more than a food safety act.”