Needles in strawberries

[hatcheckgirl]

In Queensland last week, a sewing needle was found in a strawberry punnet sold in supermarkets.  Police are treating this as a disgruntled ex-worker's revenge.  They recalled several brands of strawberries and that has left farmers in the lurch in the peak strawberry growing season.  They are destroying and dumping all the fruit.  The sweetest strawberries are now! 

 

Copy cat needles in strawberries were found in other cities, including Sydney.  Now Adelaide has also had a sewing needle found in a punnet of strawberries which were grown in Western Australia.  How very sickening to think people are so demented to injure others with needles in our food.  Strawberries now, but what next?

 

There is understandably a large reward offered.  But with the copy-cat idiots, how does one stop this?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-16/contaminated-strawberries-in-punnet-bought-in-adelaide-hills/10253528

 

Edited September 16, 2018 by hatcheckgirl

[Poly Ester]

What a stupid thing to do!! They are so seasonal... it must effect everyone from the growers to the packers.

They're my absolute favourite fruit!!

[hatcheckgirl]

Absolutely. The worrying thing is that the nature of the strawberry industry means they must still be picked, or the vines will stop producing. Farmers have no income to pay for pickers. Next year there won’t be many strawberries. So damaging to the industry. 

 

Apart from that, copy-cat needles are appearing in other states. What fruit is safe?

[GeordieGirl]

I am wondering why Coles, Woolies and Aldi have removed strawberries off the shelves across the country, except for here. 

[hatcheckgirl]

The Adelaide ones came from Gingin. So something’s not right. I’ve noticed too strawberry prices are very low. 

[dove]

It's getting so everything I buy anymore I wonder if it's going to kill me or make me sick. You never know what's next to be tainted or poisoned until it happens..

[GeordieGirl]

It has (allegedly) reached WA.

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/needle-found-in-wa-strawberries-punnet-ng-b88963526z?utm_source=emarsys&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PerthNow+PM1+Update+17%2F9%2F2018

[boodles]

Is it possible to buy the strawberries and cut them up, to see if there are any needles, then freeze or can them? 

[GeordieGirl]

Just now, boodles said:

Is it possible to buy the strawberries and cut them up, to see if there are any needles, then freeze or can them? 

I don't understand your question. Why would you need to freeze them? If you buy fresh strawberries, it's because you want to eat them while they are fresh. Of course you can cut them up before eating them .. and if I was going to buy them at the moment, that is what I would do.

[boodles]

I was thinking one could buy a lot of them if they are cheap, and preserve them, instead of throwing them away. 

[GeordieGirl]

Just now, boodles said:

I was thinking one could buy a lot of them if they are cheap, and preserve them, instead of throwing them away. 

Ah! I see.  It is only a small period of the year when they are expensive here, most of the time they are quite reasonably priced. 

[hatcheckgirl]

That's what they've said to do - cut them up before eating.  Still, I walked sadly passed the reduced price strawberries.... like most consumers.  

[Rozannnancarrow]

1 hour ago, boodles said:

Is it possible to buy the strawberries and cut them up, to see if there are any needles, then freeze or can them? 

No 

You can but they go  soggy and not nice better to cook 

[hatcheckgirl]

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/strawberry-crisis-can-food-sabotage-be-stopped?cx_cid=edm:newsam:2019

 

The ongoing scare around needles in strawberries will force the local food industry to rethink how they prevent "food sabotage", according to a food science and agribusiness expert.... 

Consequently, the businesses will now have to consider and plan for "intentional attacks".

"It's a shock and it means we are going to see fresh produce [in particular] start to look at vulnerabilities [within their chain]."

 

They can't guarantee anything in this world.  I know I took it for granted our food was safe(ish).  But you can't stop deliberate sabotage - such evilness only Jehovah can stop.

[Friends just call me Ross]

You would think a metal detector would show if there are any needles in the berries.

I would buy them, mash them and then run my metal detector over them. 

[dove]

2 minutes ago, Friends just call me Ross said:

You would think a metal detector would show if there are any needles in the berries.

I would buy them, mash them and then run my metal detector over them. 

..or a magnet?..☺️

[GoldAussieGirl]

I heard on the news some companies were using some type of X-ray to check the stock before putting it on shelves. 

 

People are just sick. I don’t understand what anyone could get out of doing this. I just worry now idiots will copy and put them in other fruit 😡

 

We have still been buying strawberries and just cutting them up. Seems such a waste to throw them out, plus then the culprits win then too. Poor farmers 🙁

[hatcheckgirl]

Apples now.... 😫

 

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/woman-reportedly-finds-needle-inside-apple-sold-at-sydney-supermarket?cx_cid=edm:newspm:2019

[hatcheckgirl]

Now they are pulling sewing needles from the shelf (?!) 

 

Supermarket giant Woolworths has taken the extraordinary step of withdrawing sewing needles from its shelves nationally following the fruit tampering crisis.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/sewing-needles-pulled-from-shelves-as-arrest-made-in-strawberry-contamination-crisis?cx_cid=edm:newspm:2019

 

And, needles have been found in mangos....

[GeordieGirl]

Apparently, in NSW, some children have been arrested for this 'prank', given a slap on the wrist and sent on their way.

 

In the meantime our latest PM is trying to increase the fines for food tampering from 10 to 15 years.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/strawberry-crisis-pm-to-increase-jail-term-for-food-tampering-to-15-years

[Shannie]

On 9/17/2018 at 4:29 AM, boodles said:

Is it possible to buy the strawberries and cut them up, to see if there are any needles, then freeze or can them? 

Needles could be contaminated..

So I wouldn't do that either...

Just throw them away...

[Thomas Walker]

On 9/20/2018 at 10:15 PM, hatcheckgirl said:

Now they are pulling sewing needles from the shelf (?!) 

 

Copycats. Kids are going to the homegoods aisle and getting sewing needles, then wandering over to the produce section and sticking them in random fruit, just for fun.

 

They caught one of the copycats yesterday. It's a 12 year old girl.

 

Dump trucks full of fresh picked strawberries being dumped in landfill because someone decided to spend the day making others miserable. Coles and Woolies are the two unstoppable heavyweights in Australia, and they've finally had to raise prices because their 'competition' has driven most Aussie farmers to bankruptcy. That, combined with the worst drought in history...