Adelaide mum speaks of terrifying moment she found needle in son’s strawberry
AN Adelaide mother who found a sewing needle in a strawberry she was cutting up for her toddler says she was “terrified” by the potential danger, as the mounting national sabotage crisis threatens to wipe out the state’s $100 million industry.
- SUNDAY: Needle found in strawberry bought in Adelaide Hills
- MONDAY: Needle found in strawberry sold at Morphett Vale grocer
- MP’s plea as Aussie strawberry farmers take a global hit
- Strawberries with needles: Coles, Aldi, Woolworths pull berries
AN Adelaide mother who found a sewing needle in a strawberry she was cutting up for her toddler says she was “terrified” by the potential danger, as the mounting national sabotage crisis threatens to wipe out the state’s $100 million industry.
Major Crime detectives are investigating separate incidents in the space of 48 hours involving two families who bought the same brand of contaminated berries.
Two children — a seven-year-old girl and a 15-month-old toddler — were lucky to avoid serious injury from punnets of Mal’s Black Label strawberries, from WA.
They were bought from Klose’s Foodland, Littlehampton, in the Hills, and 47km away at a greengrocer on Main South Rd, Morphett Vale. Nationally, police are investigating at least nine cases of sabotage involving six brands, amid fears of copycat attacks.
As federal authorities also launched an inquiry into the nation’s food supply chain and SA Health issued urgent warnings about eating berries, major supermarkets and growers were preparing to beef up security, including installing metal detectors. Tonnes of stock has also been dumped.
Kerrie Munday, 30, of Aberfoyle Park, on Monday found a needle in a strawberry as she prepared the fruit for her 15-month-old son, Cameron.
She bought her punnet from Adelaide Fresh Fruiterers. “I was chopping up strawberry for my son’s breakfast and I noticed the needle once I had chopped the strawberry in half,” she told The Advertiser.
“I was quite shocked. First thing I did was take a photo and sent it to my mum.
“Then I contacted the fruit and veg (store) I bought it from.” Ms Munday said it was terrifying thinking about what could have happened if she had not cut the berry. She has given a police statement while forensic officers have examined the fruit.
“If I was just giving him a snack, I wouldn’t have chopped it up … and that’s very scary to think about,” she said.
“I didn’t think it could happen to us, but I’m glad I was taking those precautions.”
Staff at the shop expressed shock but management declined further comment. Major Crime Detective Inspector Billy Thompson said a seven-year-old girl found a needle in a strawberry bought from Klose’s Foodland on Saturday.
“She was having those on Sunday morning when she bit into one of the strawberries and discovered a needle, which she told her mum about,” he said. “Fortunately, she wasn’t injured.”
He said there was a “strong possibility” the SA incidents were the work of a copycat, in the wake of the first needle contamination cases reported in Queensland last week.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has not ruled out compensation for growers, but as crisis talks were held in Queensland and Canberra, farmers were destroying hundreds of thousands of plants to save money. SA growers fear the state’s $100 million industry could be wiped out in weeks if consumers stop buying produce.
SA Health public health services spokesman Chris Lease urged the public to cut any strawberries. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt ordered Food Standards authorities to help police and examine the supply chain.
Strawberry safety fears
SEPTEMBER 9: A Queensland man, 21, taken to hospital after swallowing needle inserted in a strawberry.
SEPT 11: NSW mother reports finding three pins in three strawberries bought from Wingham.
SEPT 12: Police investigate Queensland incident. Needles found in strawberries sold in Victorian towns Ballarat and Yarram, as well as Gladstone, Queensland, where a boy almost ate the fruit. Berry Licious and Berry Obsession brands pulled from shelves.
SEPT 13: Coles employee at Gatton, in Brisbane, finds a needle on top of a punnet of strawberries. Police no longer believe an ex-worker was responsible.
SEPT 14: Donnybrook, Love Berry, Delightful Strawberries and Oasis brands linked with sabotaged strawberries. Needles found in strawberries at Tweed Heads in NSW and Queensland’s Redbank Plains and Everton Park. SA Mid North man reports finding two pins in punnet of Queensland strawberries purchased from a Jamestown supermarket. Police are investigating.
SEPT 15: Queensland Government announces $100,000 reward for information on the strawberry sabotage. Needle found in strawberries in Sydney’s south.
SEPT 16: Needle found in Mal’s Black Label strawberry purchased in SA — from a Littlehampton Foodland.
MONDAY: Another SA case. Bought from a southern suburbs fruiterer.