Two of Australia’s major supermarkets have pulled strawberries from shelves over needle contamination fears.

Coles says it is withdrawing all brands of Queensland grown strawberry punnets from shelves across the country, except in Western Australia.

A spokesperson for the supermarket said in a statement the safety of customers was the top priority and added they would be working with suppliers and growers to offer support.

“Police are urging anyone who finds strawberry punnets containing foreign objects to contact the police in their home state,” the Coles spokesperson said.

Meanwhile an Aldi Australia spokesperson said on Saturday the German chain had “taken the proactive step of withdrawing all strawberries for sale in ALDI stores across Queensland, NSW, ACT, South Australia and Victoria”.

The spokesperson said it would seek guidance from the Queensland Emergency Coordination Centre before returning the fruit to shelves.

Food safety investigation ordered

Health Minister Greg Hunt has ordered the national food safety watchdog to assess the state’s handling of strawberry contamination.

It comes as police investigate claims that needle sabotage has now spread to six brands of strawberries in four states.

Berry Obsession, Berry Licious and Donnybrook Berries-branded fruit have recalled their strawberries nationwide.

In Queensland, these are the only three brands which have been confirmed as contaminated.

Police are also investigating contamination of fruit sold by Delightful Strawberries, Love Berries and Oasis in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, and the ACT stores.

“This is a very vicious crime and it’s a general attack on the public, and it’s also an attack on a specific industry,” he told reporters on Sunday.

Mr Hunt said while it was primarily a problem for the states, he had asked his department to request Food Standards Australia New Zealand make an “immediate appraisal” of the situation.

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young said the department was “working closely with our local and interstate counterparts as the investigation continues and are committed to keeping the public informed as this progresses”.

“If you still have Berry Licious, Berry Obsession and Donnybrook-branded strawberries at home you should return them to the store or throw them away,” she said.

“For all other brands, our advice remains that you can continue to eat strawberries, but you should cut them up before eating.

“Remember if in doubt, throw them out. Otherwise, make sure you chop before you chomp.”

A $100,000 reward has been offered for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible.

With AAP