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Stern warning to copycats as banana and apple found with needles inserted


A stern warning has been issued to any copycats believed to be contaminating fruit with up to 10 years in jail facing anyone prosecuted over the offence.

NSW police alone are investigating more than 20 fruit sabotage incidents with many suspected to be copycat acts following the needles found in Queensland strawberries.

A needle was found on Tuesday inside a strawberry at a school in northern NSW, police said.

While further details were scarce, police said an apple was found with a needle in it in Sydney’s northwest and a banana was also found containing a needle in the Bankstown area on Monday.

Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said police are yet to confirm the motivation behind the latest acts of contamination.

Police say they are investigating after a needle was found in an apple. Image: 7 News
Police say they are investigating after a needle was found in an apple. Image: 7 News

“Any incidents of self-contamination or suspected copycat incidents (also) impact on the industry and are very unhelpful to authorities,” Det Supt Doherty told reporters on Tuesday.

“And will be treated as food contamination, which again is a serious offence which carries 10 years’ jail.

“So, any incident of food contamination is going to be considered a 10-year jail sentence and will be investigated accordingly.”

Det Supt Doherty described the food contamination saga as “an act of treachery”.

NSW Police Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty has warned anyone contaminating fruit, copying what originated from a Queensland strawberry farm, will face 10 years’ jail. Source: 7 News
NSW Police Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty has warned anyone contaminating fruit, copying what originated from a Queensland strawberry farm, will face 10 years’ jail. Source: 7 News

When asked how many incidents had been reported in NSW, he said “more than 20” and “it’s not in any one area of NSW”.

He also urged people to be vigilant and cut up fruit before eating it.

“We’ve been very fortuitous that we haven’t had anyone receive any significant injuries at this stage and that’s why we really do need the help from the public to try to solve this matter,” Det Supt Doherty said.

A banana was found containing a needle in the Bankstown area on Monday. Source: Getty Images (File pic)
A banana was found containing a needle in the Bankstown area on Monday. Source: Getty Images (File pic)

‘This can’t possibly be happening, not in apples’

A Kellyville mother revealed her shock after finding a needle in an apple while peeling up the fruit for her daughter.

“I just thought, wow, this can’t possibly be happening, not in apples,” the mother told 7 News.

“I’ve seen the news about strawberries and I’ve been vigilant in cutting those up for the girls, but to see this in an apple… I actually thought these were safe.

The piece of fruit in question was a pink lady apple that was bought in a 1kg pack, purchased from a Woolworths at The Ponds, in Sydney’s northwest.

The Sydney mother said she felt terrified given her daughters normally just bite into apples. Image: 7 News
The Sydney mother said she felt terrified given her daughters normally just bite into apples. Image: 7 News

Strawberry crisis stretches across the Tasman

Nervous growers are weighing up their farming futures as the strawberry contamination crisis forces New Zealand’s major supermarkets to stop selling the fruit from Australia.

Fears over needles placed in strawberries have now spilled across the Tasman, with both of New Zealand’s major food distributors taking the fruit off their shelves.

Both Foodstuffs and Countdown (owned by Woolworths), which between them control nearly the entire New Zealand grocery market, on Monday announced they had stopped sending out Australian strawberries to their stores.

In separate statements, both said while none of their products had been affected by a major recall in Australia, they wanted to reassure customers.

Countdown said it had stopped ordering any further imports of Australian strawberries, while Foodstuffs had halted distribution.

with AAP