Australia strawberry crisis raises food safety concerns

Needle scare also prompts call to keep eating fruit and support farmers

Australian farmer Aidan Young with the strawberries he will destroy at his farm in Queensland following the needle scare. The crisis has led to falling sales and forced growers to dump millions of strawberries. It has also raised questions about the
Australian farmer Aidan Young with the strawberries he will destroy at his farm in Queensland following the needle scare. The crisis has led to falling sales and forced growers to dump millions of strawberries. It has also raised questions about the adequacy of food safety measures. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Jonathan Pearlman For The Straits Times In Sydney
Updated
Published
September 26, 2018 at 5:00 AM
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

In Australia, it has become an act of patriotism to buy a punnet of strawberries.

Everyone - from Prime Minister Scott Morrison to those on popular cooking websites - has been urging people to keep eating strawberries to assist farmers and to ignore a food contamination scare in which sewing needles have been found in strawberries and other fruit.

Already a subscriber? 

Dive deeper at $0.99/month

Want more exclusives, sharp insights into what's happening at home and abroad? Subscribe to stay informed.

ST One Digital Package - Monthly

$9.90 $0.99/month

No contract

$0.99/month for the first 3 months, $9.90/month thereafter. T&Cs apply.

Subscribe now

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • 2-week e-paper archive so you never miss out on any topic that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 26, 2018, with the headline Australia strawberry crisis raises food safety concerns. Subscribe

Available for
iPhones and iPads
Available in
Google Play

MCI (P) 031/10/2021, MCI (P) 032/10/2021. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. Copyright © 2021 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.

Back to the top