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| Australia fruit scare: Needles found in New Zealand strawberries | Australia fruit scare: Needles found in New Zealand strawberries |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| The Australian scare over needles found in strawberries has spread to New Zealand after needles were found in a punnet of the fruit in an Auckland supermarket. | The Australian scare over needles found in strawberries has spread to New Zealand after needles were found in a punnet of the fruit in an Auckland supermarket. |
| The Countdown supermarket chain said it had taken a brand of Australian strawberries off the shelves. | The Countdown supermarket chain said it had taken a brand of Australian strawberries off the shelves. |
| There have been over 100 reports of needles being found in supermarket fruit in Australia. | There have been over 100 reports of needles being found in supermarket fruit in Australia. |
| Many are thought to be copycat cases or social media stunts, however. | |
| The strawberries in Auckland, originally from Western Australia state, were sold in New Zealand Countdown stores nationwide last week. | The strawberries in Auckland, originally from Western Australia state, were sold in New Zealand Countdown stores nationwide last week. |
| "We take food safety very seriously," the company said in a statement. | "We take food safety very seriously," the company said in a statement. |
| "Customers can return any Choice brand of strawberries they may have at home to Countdown for peace of mind and a full refund." | "Customers can return any Choice brand of strawberries they may have at home to Countdown for peace of mind and a full refund." |
| The statement said there had been no reports of any illness or injury in New Zealand, but the chain advised customers to cut up any Australian strawberries before eating them. | The statement said there had been no reports of any illness or injury in New Zealand, but the chain advised customers to cut up any Australian strawberries before eating them. |
| It added that the brand of strawberries affected by this withdrawal "have not previously had any issues of this nature reported and had not been withdrawn from sale in Australia". | It added that the brand of strawberries affected by this withdrawal "have not previously had any issues of this nature reported and had not been withdrawn from sale in Australia". |
| Dumped fruit | Dumped fruit |
| It has been nearly a week since the first needle was found in a punnet of strawberries bought in Queensland. | It has been nearly a week since the first needle was found in a punnet of strawberries bought in Queensland. |
| Woolworths Australia, Countdown's parent company, has withdrawn needles from sale as a "precautionary step". | Woolworths Australia, Countdown's parent company, has withdrawn needles from sale as a "precautionary step". |
| The Australian government last week raised the maximum prison sentence for fruit tampering from 10 to 15 years, and there is a reward of A$100,000 (£55,000; $72,000) for anyone able to offer information. | The Australian government last week raised the maximum prison sentence for fruit tampering from 10 to 15 years, and there is a reward of A$100,000 (£55,000; $72,000) for anyone able to offer information. |
| Growers have had to dump tonnes of unwanted fruit. They fear the scare, which has come during the peak of production, will damage sales in an industry worth about A$130m a year. | Growers have had to dump tonnes of unwanted fruit. They fear the scare, which has come during the peak of production, will damage sales in an industry worth about A$130m a year. |
| Strawberry prices have already dropped around the country, with prices in Western Australia now below the cost of production, local media reported. | Strawberry prices have already dropped around the country, with prices in Western Australia now below the cost of production, local media reported. |
| On Monday, New Zealand's two largest food distributors - Countdown and Foodstuffs - said they had stopped importing Australian strawberries due to the scare. | On Monday, New Zealand's two largest food distributors - Countdown and Foodstuffs - said they had stopped importing Australian strawberries due to the scare. |