'Possible tampering': Staple found in Hastings supermarket strawberry

The staple was reportedly found in a strawberry purchased from Hastings Pak'nSave. Photo / Supplied

A girl had a nasty surprise when she bit into a strawberry that had a sharp object in it that cut her gums and made them bleed.

Seema Sunil's teenage daughter found a staple in a strawberry from Hastings Pak'nSave on Monday afternoon, but only after she bit into the fruit and felt something cut her mouth.

Pak'nSave's owner's Foodstuffs confirmed it was investigating the incident and believes someone could have tampered with the punnet of fruit.

Sunil said the situation could've been much worse if her younger children had attempted to eat it.

"It's a very serious matter because my daughter is 13 she can tell me, but I wonder what would've happened if my 5-year-old or 7-year-old had bitten into that one," she said.

"They don't really chew, they just swallow and that could've been much more dangerous."

Sunil went back to the supermarket on Tuesday morning to complain, and has also phoned and emailed the store.

Foodstuffs head of corporate affairs Antoinette Laird said they are taking the matter seriously.

"Customer safety is our number one priority and we encourage all customers to contact stores directly should they ever encounter a possible tampering issue with a product," Laird said.

A staple was found in a Driscoll's punnet of strawberries from Pak'nSave. Photo / Supplied

"We are liaising with the Ministry for Primary Industries and the supplier who have reported their concerns to the Police directly regarding this incident - and as such we are unable to further comment."

Driscoll's New Zealand supply chain The Fresh Berry Company managing director Craig Hall said they were working alongside the police and were carrying out further investigations.

"We are working with the authorities and expect they will be conducting an investigation, which we fully support, and will be working with them to assist in their investigation," he said.

"Meanwhile, The Fresh Berry Company is also undertaking our own investigation along with other parties in the supply chain."

Hall added that it is early to draw any conclusions in the investigations.

Pak'nSave gave Sunil a refund and verbally apologised. She said the supermarket told her it wasn't the store's fault – it was their supplier's.