POLICE are warning the community following reports of contaminated strawberries purchased in NSW.
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On Wednesday, Queensland Police Service announced an investigation into the contamination, which appears to have originated at a Queensland-based supplier.
It is now believed the contamination may affect six brands of strawberries – “Berry Obsession”, “Berry Licious”, “Love Berry”, “Donnybrook Berries”, “Delightful Strawberries”, and “Oasis”.
These brands are believed to be sold in stores in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory.
Police are continuing to liaise with retailers to ensure that all stock from the affected date have been removed from sale.
The contamination relates to what appears to be sewing needles and pins inserted in strawberries.
So far, NSW Police Force has received reports of contaminated strawberries purchased at supermarkets at Tweed Heads, Taree, and Wingham.
As the products have yet to be forensically examined, it is unknown if the contamination is related to the original Queensland incident or a copycat.
Police are urging anyone who has purchased contaminated product to take the punnet to their local police station immediately for triage and forensic examination.
Any customer who has purchased strawberries of the potentially impacted brands is urged to cut the fruit before consuming.
If any member of the community is concerned about the integrity of the product they’ve purchased, it may be returned to the point of sale.
All relevant information is being collated in each state and provided to Queensland authorities to assist with their ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333-000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.