QUEENSLAND, Australia (WFLA) – People in Australia are being warned to cut fresh strawberries before biting into them after several people found sewing needles hidden inside the fruit.
Authorities say one man had to be taken to the hospital after swallowing one of the needle-laced strawberries.
“I bit into it, felt it break. My knee-jerk reaction was to swallow,” Hoani Hearne said. “What was left over was half of a sewing needle.”
A 9-year-old boy also bit into one but thankfully wasn’t injured.
Health officials say six brands of strawberries have been affected and have been removed from stores as a precaution. Authorities have traced the impacted berries back to a farm in Queensland.
“It is an isolated incident,” said Jennifer Rowling with the Queensland Strawberry Growers’ Association. “It is one farm that’s been affected with two labels. They have all been removed from sale completely.”
Investigators are calling this a deliberate act. They’re offering a $100,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible.
In the meantime, Australians are urged to use caution when eating the fruit.
“My advice is to be very careful and cut up the strawberries before eating them,” Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr. Jeannette Young said.
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