Now sabotaged strawberries turn up in New Zealand

THE Australian strawberry scare has spread to New Zealand with a supermarket chain announcing yesterday that needles were found in a box of the fruit sourced from its neighbour.

The Countdown supermarket chain said it had taken a brand of Australian strawberries off the shelves after a sabotaged punnet from Western Australia was sold in an Auckland store.

“We take food safety very seriously,” the company said in a statement. “Customers can return any Choice brand of strawberries they may have at home for peace of mind and a full refund.”

Countdown advised customers to cut up Australian strawberries before eating them. The statement said there have been no reports of any illness or injury in New Zealand.

In Australia, more than 100 alleged incidents of pins and needles found in fruit have been reported since the scare began earlier this month. Most are thought to be pranks but at least two minors have been questioned by police for carrying out hoaxes.

The Australian government has raised the maximum prison sentence for fruit tampering from 10 to 15 years.