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"We have taken the necessary precautions to temporarily remove the sewing needles from our stores," Woolworths said in a statement. "The safety of our customers is our top priority."
Woolworths also suspended needle sales online, although they are still available on the Coles website, its main competitor.
Needles were first reported in strawberries from the state of Queensland last week, but they have been found in the six Australian states since at least six brands. There are also isolated cases of needles in a banana and an apple.
Many cases are considered hoaxes or copy attacks, including an attack by a child who has admitted the "joke" to the police.
New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner of Police Stuart Smith said the child "will be treated as part of the youth warning system."
In New South Wales, criminal responsibility begins at the age of 10, but the police can give a formal warning to young offenders.
Severe penalties
The Australian government has announced tougher penalties for handling food products, increasing the maximum prison sentence from 10 to 15 years.
In contrast, knowingly holding child pornography and indecent assault results in up to ten years' imprisonment in the state of Victoria, Australia's most densely populated state. .
"It's not a joke, it's not funny, you endanger the livelihoods of hard-working Australians and you scare children." You're a coward and you're a grub and if you do these things this country we will come after you, "said Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday.
Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin called social media users who had posted staged images of contaminated fruit on their accounts to remove them.
Sales of some strawberry brands have been suspended across the country. A statement on Woolworth's commercial website states that the company has "temporarily removed the Berry Licious, Berry Obsession and Donnybrook strawberries from recent reports of contamination."
The brands Love Berry, Delightful Strawber and Oasis were also affected, according to 9 News.
Coles has also recalled strawberries from its stores, except in Western Australia, where it sells them under the direction of the authorities, according to 9 News. He still has his own branded strawberries for sale online.
Sales of hanging strawberries
"Smash" is an Australianism that means to eat or drink something with enthusiasm or fast.
"Western Australians support our local industry, slice them in half and #SmashAStrawb to help our local producers today," Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan said on his official Twitter.
Australia exports strawberries to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the UAE, among others. A major New Zealand retailer has already removed Australian strawberries from the sale.
Some buyers in Russia and the United Kingdom have also blocked Australian imports, Queensland Strawberry's Jennifer Rowlings said, according to local media reports.
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