No imports of needle-spiked strawberries: MPI
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) says it can now confirm that none of the strawberries caught up in a needle contamination scare in Australia are on New Zealand shop shelves.
‘‘The Australian authorities have thoroughly tracked export orders for strawberries and can confirm none have been imported by New Zealand,’’ MPI’s manager of compliance investigations, Gary Orr, said.
But despite the ministry’s reassurance, New Zealand’s two biggest supermarket chains, Countdown and Foodstuffs, have decided not to bring any more Australian strawberries into the country for the time being.
‘‘New Zealand-grown strawberries will be on our shelves from next week as it’s the start of the new season,’’ Countdown produce head Steve Sexton said.
Nine discoveries of needles in strawberry packs have been reported in Australia since last week, injuring at least one person. The needles have been found across six different brands.
Foodstuffs, which owns New World, Pak’n Save and Four Square said it had decided, like Countdown, to wait for the local season once its current supplies from Australia ran out.
Customer safety was the company’s No 1 priority and it wanted to provide ‘‘added reassurance,’’ Foodstuffs spokeswoman Sue Hamilton said.
MPI has been getting updates from New Zealand police and Queensland health authorities on what appears to be an intentional situation, and said it would continue to monitor the situation.
Meanwhile, Kiwi strawberry growers say they can only hope that lingering fears about the Australian situation don’t affect sales of the local product.
Anthony Rakich, chairman of Strawberry Growers New Zealand, said all New Zealand berries would have a label of origin.
‘‘I’m sure the supermarkets will be putting up big signs once the fruit starts.’’
Rakich said he did not know whether the saboteurs were spiking the fruit at the farms or in the supermarkets but if the latter, he hoped they would be caught on closed-circuit TV.
The six Australian brands that have so far been affected are Berry Obsession, Berry Licious, Donnybrook labels, Love Berry, Delightful Strawberries and Oasis.