By Margaret Maccoll
The contamination of strawberries with sewing needles has rocked the strawberry industry but the shocking incident has reinforced the value of small scale farming and their quality assurance systems.
Cooloola Berries owner Kim Lewis said at their family owned and run business the strawberries were picked and packed by family members and sold at smaller outlets within a 60km radius at Noosa, Pomona, Tewantin and Gympie enabling them to maintain a tight control over their product. Trade has remained strong at their farm outlet, she said
Kim said the incident had been very concerning for the affect it might have on the industry and particularly worrying because of the copy cat situation and given all strawberry farmers had employees.
“Who knows why this has happened,” she said. “Hopefully farmers are valuing their staff.”
Police investigations have confirmed needles have been inserted in strawberries in punnets from strawberry brands Berry Obsession and Berry Licious and Donnybrook Farms and they have been pulled from stores.
The brands are sold in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and the ACT and police suspect several copycat incidents have occurred.
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said anyone who had brands identified as contaminated should not use them.
“For other brands, our advice is all strawberries should be cut up before they are eaten,” Dr Young said.
“Strawberries are a great fruit, and people should continue to buy them, but everyone should simply cut them up.”
The Queensland Government on Saturday offered a $100,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the current strawberry contamination incident.
The Premier said the reward was an additional incentive to bring the incident to a rapid conclusion.
“Whoever is behind this is not just putting families at risk across Queensland and the rest of Australia – they are putting an entire industry at risk,” the Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.
There are about 150 strawberry growers in Queensland producing up to 60 million punnets of strawberries with a value for 2017-2018 to be about $160million.
Police are urging anyone with information to contact Policelink on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
