The Australian strawberry industry was on its knees after reports of sharp needles found in store-bought strawberries were received from all six states.

So far, no one knows who is at the origin of this act of agroterrorism or their motives.

What began as an isolated case in Queensland earlier this month gradually turned into a national panic as more and more needles were found throughout the country. Things would have deteriorated so much that some producers have recalled a lot of their strawberries and turned to metal detectors to restore customer confidence. The only problem is that one does not know at any point in time that producers are stocking the shelves where needles are inserted, and until more information about this is available, there is no clear way to solve the problem. problem

The first needle was discovered in a strawberry in Queensland last week, but several other reports from the state, from South Australia, Western Australia and all other states have been published. While most people who found metal needles in the strawberry were in good condition, there was the case of a 21-year-old Queensland man who bit to metal needle and swallowed some of it. He was hospitalized after complaining of abdominal pain.

Authorities have begun to thorough investigation into what is known as "commercial terrorism" and urged people to slice strawberries before eating them to avoid injury. The Queensland State Government has offered a reward of A $ 100,000 ($ 72,000) for any relevant information on this subject.



The Queensland Strawberry Growers Association suggested that the needles would have been placed inside the strawberries by an unhappy employee, while other sources claimed that some cases were incidents, but the police said that it was too early to speculate. One thing is certain, these needles put Australian strawberries on their knees. People have already stopped buying strawberries and two of New Zealand's largest food distributors have stopped importing because of fear.

"I am angry at all the associate members - it's the farmers, the suppliers, the packers, the truckers - with the families to support, who are suddenly losing their jobs," said Adrian Schultz, vice president of Queensland Strawberry Growers. Association, said ABC. "It's a big reach."

Strawberry prices have fallen all around Australia prices in some countries are now under production costs, which will also affect next year's crop, as some producers may not be able to afford the price this year.

Gluing sharp needles into strawberries has been described as a "vicious crime" and a "general attack on the public".

"How could a well-meaning person endanger a baby or a child or the health of anyone by doing such a terrible thing?" Saturday asked Prime Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk. This is a good question, but many Australians are still waiting to be heard.

Source: https://www.rexcharlesblog.com/2018/09/australia-citizens-scare-as-metal.html