The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Countdown warns customers after needles found in strawberries bought in Auckland

Ben Leahy
By Ben Leahy
Reporter·NZ Herald·
23 Sep, 2018 07:30 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Countdown has warned customers after needles were found in fruit bought in an Auckland supermarket. Photo / File

Countdown has warned customers after needles were found in fruit bought in an Auckland supermarket. Photo / File

Countdown is warning customers to cut up strawberries before eating them after needles were found in fruit bought in an Auckland supermarket.

The supermarket chain has withdrawn the Choice brand strawberries - in which the needles were found - from the shelves at Countdown, SuperValue and FreshChoice outlets.

The Choice brand of strawberries, sourced from Western Australia, were sold nationwide last week.

"Customers can return any Choice brand of strawberries they may have at home to Countdown for peace of mind and a full refund," the supermarket said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"As an extra precaution and following similar advice from public health authorities in Australia, customers should cut up any Australian strawberries before eating them," it said.

"Countdown is in contact with both New Zealand and Australian authorities as they investigate this matter."

Asked specifically about which Countdown supermarket store the affected strawberries were found at, a spokeswoman would not say.

It is not known either whether the affected punnet was discovered by a member of the public or a staffer.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The spokeswoman told the Herald that apart from this discovery, no other strawberries with needles had been reported across the Countdown store network in New Zealand.

Foodstuffs said last week that it would halt the distribution of Australian strawberries in New Zealand.

Foodstuffs operates Four Square, New World and Pak'nSave.

Auckland resident Ly Nguyen was alarmed to hear about the discovery of needles in strawberries sold by Countdown.

Discover more

Business

Needles concealed in Australian strawberries 'commercial terrorism'

17 Sep 06:00 PM
Business

PM, international media weigh in on strawberry scare

23 Sep 08:22 PM
New Zealand|politics

Govt: Don't overreact over strawberries

24 Sep 12:46 AM
Editorial

Editorial: Strawberry sabotage shows food supply vulnerability

24 Sep 05:00 PM

She emerged from Countdown's city outlet on Victoria St with a bag full of fruit and veges but had not bought any strawberries.

She said she ate the fruit often but usually in the summer when it was in season.

"I have never heard of an incident like this with Countdown," she said.

"It is a worry this can happen in New Zealand.

"Now we have to make sure that every time we buy strawberries it is safe."

Although more an apple guy, student Atish Bhattarai ate strawberries occasionally and said he was also concerned.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He also said this should not be happening in New Zealand and hoped authorities investigate.

"But Countdown can't check all its strawberries so the main responsibility is with the company that packed them," he said.

Police said they received a report on Sunday about a person finding needles inside strawberries they had recently purchased.

"Police are taking this report seriously and are investigating together with our colleagues at the Ministry for Primary Industries," a spokesperson said.

"The person who reported the incident was not harmed as the needles were found before anyone had eaten them."

Anyone who finds anything suspicious in their food is asked to contact police immediately.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The find comes after a huge recall across the Tasman, where the product was pulled from the shelves of several supermarkets when strawberries spiked with needles were discovered across six regions in Australia.

Queensland police are leading an investigation into the source of the needles, and the state's Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has stumped up a reward of $100,000 for anyone with information that leads to the capture of the culprits.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Horticulture

The Country

'Favourable conditions': Avocado industry predicts export boom

11 Jul 05:00 PM
The Country

Transforming waste into eco-friendly fruit trays

11 Jul 05:00 PM
The Country

T&G Global receives multiple offers amid sale speculation

10 Jul 10:31 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Horticulture

'Favourable conditions': Avocado industry predicts export boom

'Favourable conditions': Avocado industry predicts export boom

11 Jul 05:00 PM

The avocado industry predicts better times after two tough seasons.

Transforming waste into eco-friendly fruit trays

Transforming waste into eco-friendly fruit trays

11 Jul 05:00 PM
T&G Global receives multiple offers amid sale speculation

T&G Global receives multiple offers amid sale speculation

10 Jul 10:31 PM
How NZ is tackling worker protection issues in the primary industries

How NZ is tackling worker protection issues in the primary industries

10 Jul 10:30 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP