More fruit has been tampered with in Ballarat as the nationwide needle fiasco continues.
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For the second time in a week, fruit from Coles in Stockland Wendouree has been found with needles in it, this time embedded in mandarins aimed at children.
The bag of ‘kids sized mandarins’ was purchased by Patricia Bradley from the Wendouree Coles last week, with the needle discovered by her 14-year-old cousin on Tuesday.
“I guess we always know things like this are happening but tend to think ‘oh it won’t happen to our household’,” she said.
Ms Bradley said ‘it’s sickening’ to think that people would target child size bags of mandarins.
Under draft laws passed by government on Thursday, food tamperers could now spend 10-15 years behind bars.
What is possessing these tamperers to commit these offences is unclear, however Dr Claire Ferguson, a Senior Lecturer from Queensland University of Technology’s School of Law, has identified some potential motivators.
“People who are committing these offences are usually already motivated to do something, and may be looking for something specific,” Dr Ferguson said.
“They can be motivated by revenge, either towards grocery stores, or the fruit industry, or even against individuals.
“They may be ‘thrill-seeking’ and peer pressured by social group.”
One motivator identified by Dr Ferguson was attention seeking for personal gain (false reporting).
This comes after a South Australian man was charged with making a false report in relation to an alleged strawberry contamination.
Police say the 34-year-old last week reported that his daughter bit into a contaminated strawberry purchased at a local supermarket, however, it was determined that the fruit had been falsely contaminated.
Dr Ferguson doesn’t believe that any specific age group is more susceptible to committing ‘copycat’ crimes, however does believe that those who digest the majority of their news and information through the internet and television.
Coles spokesperson reiterated the company’s stance on the issue.
“Coles takes the quality of all our products seriously. Our customers’ health and safety is our priority. As always, customers who are unsatisfied with products purchased at Coles may return them for a refund.”
If you know of anyone who has committed these offences, please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or submit an anonymous report here.
If you find any fruit that has been contaminated, please contact your local police, and the establishment you purchased them from.
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