Third strawberry brand sabotaged, prompting nation-wide recall
Authorities have received three "credible" reports that another strawberry supplier has been contaminated with needles and prompted an urgent nation-wide recall of the brand.
The Donnybrook strawberry brand farms are located in south-east Queensland, close to the Berry Licious and Berry Obsession farms where the initial sabotage is believed to have taken place.
The contaminated Donnybrook punnets were reported in the north Brisbane suburb of Everton Park, the Ipswich suburb of Redbank plains south-west of Brisbane, and Tweed Heads on the northern New South Wales coast.
Queensland Health and the Queensland Police Service released information regarding the latest brand to fall victim to the sabotage on Friday afternoon and said the three fresh reports had been received and near-confirmed within the past 48 hours.
The Donnybrook supplier owns three farms in south-east Queensland and supplies to both Coles and Woolworths. All punnets have been recalled.
Chief health officer Jeannette Young said her advice remained the same following the latest discovery - all strawberries should be cut in half before eating, no matter the supplier, and it would be wise for fruit-lovers to throw the three contaminated brands away.
It came as a NSW mother said she found more sabotaged strawberries, in the first instance for that state following the recent scares in Queensland.
Chantal Faugeras posted to Facebook images of strawberries she said were bought from a Coles supermarket on the NSW Mid North Coast on Tuesday.
In the post, Ms Faugeras said her 10-year-old discovered a pin embedded in a strawberry while eating a punnet they had bought from the Coles at Wingham.
She said the punnets were both Delightful Strawberries branded products.
Neither Queensland police or Queensland Health confirmed Ms Faugeras' claims in their press conference on Thursday afternoon.
Four punnets of Berry Licious and Berry Obsession strawberries, two in Queensland and two in Victoria, have been found to contain needles.
Three punnets of Donnybrook strawberries have also been sabotaged.
Police are also investigating a copycat saboteur after a Coles employee at a Gatton store, about 90 kilometres west of Brisbane, found a "small silver rod" on top of strawberries in a punnet.
The incident was reported to authorities on Thursday, but the strawberry punnet targeted was a different brand to other discoveries.
Most Viewed in National
A relationship banned under traditional law.
Our new podcast series from the team behind Phoebe's Fall
View episodes