Australia Issues Scary Warning on Strawberries

Reports out of three Aussie states have strawberry lovers checking their fresh fruit carefully. The BBC and ABC Australia report that sewing needles have been found embedded in strawberries, from six different brands, that came out of supermarkets in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, per NSW police. Queensland Health said in a Thursday tweet that "consumers should cut up strawberries before consuming them," even if they're not from one of the six named makers. Three brands—Donnybrook Berries, Berry Licious, and Berry Obsession—have been taken off the shelves completely.

Among the reports cited by the BBC are a 9-year-old boy who's said to have bit into a strawberry with a needle (he didn't swallow it) and a 21-year-old man who reportedly went to the ER after he ingested half a needle and experienced "severe abdominal pain." A rep from the Queensland Strawberry Growers Association tells the BBC she thinks it was "sabotage," and in a statement, the QSGA says it has "reason to suspect" that an ex-supermarket employee is behind it all, per ABC. (More Australia stories.)