Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news!

Subscribe I am already a subscriber

You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker).

As we provide the news for free, we are relying on revenues from our banners. So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.
Thanks!

Click here for a guide on disabling your adblocker.

Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news!

Subscribe I am already a subscriber

Australia: Strawberry tampering culprit charged

Growcom in association with Queensland Strawberries are pleased to be advised police have arrested and charged someone with the original act of product sabotage regarding the needles in strawberries incident.

by Growcom CEO David Thomson

We congratulate Queensland Police for their efforts and hope this person will be brought to account to the full extent of the law.

It is disconcerting that the charges relate to just six or seven punnets of strawberries, proving that the majority of the 200+ incidents were copycats or false reports.

Controlling bad public behaviour, including product tampering, is a challenge beyond the control of growers. There was never an issue with the quality, integrity and freshness of Queensland’s locally grown strawberries.

It is therefore a shame the crisis was driven largely by social media which had a crippling impact on Queensland strawberry growers and to some extent other Australian fruit growers and exporters.

People who make claims of tampering online instead of contacting authorities should always be questioned. Those who make claims that are false, attention-seeking or attempting to gain financial advantage should face criminal charges.

Australia has strict agricultural standards to ensure the safety and wholesomeness of our fresh produce. Our primary industry bodies and agricultural authorities vigorously and vigilantly defend those standards.

Controlling inappropriate consumer behaviour, including product tampering, is a challenge. However, the Australian fresh food industry, in collaboration with the Australian Government, is committed to ensuring that produce arrives for sale in the same condition that it left the farm.

All state governments and industries are currently undertaking an intensive review of the events and behaviours that caused and exacerbated the food tampering incidents.

On behalf of our growers, Growcom is appreciative to Queensland customers who recognised there was no substantial issue with strawberries and continued to buy the fruit as usual.

We will continue to work with industry to address issues throughout the supply chain to ensure an incident like this will not again bring an industry to its knees.

For more information:
Growcom
Primary Producers House
Level 3, 183 North Quay
Brisbane Qld 4000
PO Box 202
Fortitude Valley Qld 4006
p: 07 3620 3844
f: 07 3620 3880
[email protected]
www.growcom.com.au

Publication date: