A video of a farming family dumping truckloads of strawberries in Australia has gone viral on Facebook garnering more than 50,000 shares since being shared on 17 September.
The Facebook user Stephanie Chheang said: “This is no doubt the worst thing to ever happen to my family. This here is a video of our strawberries being dumped, this here is worth more then you could ever imagine and within 3 days we lost it all.”
This is no doubt the worst thing to ever happen to my family. This here is a video of our strawberries being dumped, this here is worth more then you could ever imagine and within 3 days we lost it all. My mum Leena Lee Cufari and my step dad has worked years to build the empire they’re sitting on now, they put all their money and effort in to build such a successful business. They work hard to make the money for our family and to have these selfish individuals destroy it is just so upsetting. My mum works day through to the night, controlling the shed and her 250 employees, making sure her strawberries are packed to perfection. This will not stop my family from doing what they do best, if anything they’re going to do better. I thank everyone who supports us and all the other farmers who were affected by this horrible issue. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts ❤️*** To everyone who does not know, this is due to the needle contamination. We have to throw them out because the markets wouldnt take our strawberries due to the needle scare.** video produced from Donnybrook Berries** Donnybrook berries will be adding precaution and putting in metal detectors and other safety equipment we can think of to give our consumers the best quality strawberries.
Posted by Stephanie Chheang on Monday, 17 September 2018
“My mum Leena Lee Cufari and my step dad has worked years to build the empire they’re sitting on now, they put all their money and effort in to build such a successful business. They work hard to make the money for our family and to have these selfish individuals destroy it is just so upsetting.
“My mum works day through to the night, controlling the shed and her 250 employees, making sure her strawberries are packed to perfection. This will not stop my family from doing what they do best, if anything they’re going to do better. I thank everyone who supports us and all the other farmers who were affected by this horrible issue. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts ❤”
Chheang’s family were affected by the “needles in strawberry” scare affecting consumers in Australia and New Zealand. In producing her video for her mum’s Donnybrook Berries, Chheangg said “markets wouldn’t take our strawberries due to the needle scare”. Select strawberry brands have been taken off shelves in supermarkets after needles started cropping up inside pieces of the fruit.
Public health authorities for Australia’s state of Queensland put out an alert stating it is safe to purchase the fruit from brands still on the shelves, but suggested consumers should still exercise precautions and check their strawberries before eating them.
At least one person who has been affected by needles in strawberry has been sent to the hospital after unknowingly swallowing half a sewing needle. A 7-year-old girl also discovered a needle, but was not injured.
Premier of Queensland and Australian Minister for Trade Annastacia Palaszczuk said. “Whoever is behind this is not just putting families at risk across Queensland and the rest of Australia — they are putting an entire industry at risk,.” Authorities have offered a $72,000 reward for information leading lead to the arrest of those responsible.
Australian media quoted the Queensland Strawberry Growers Association as saying that it had “reason to suspect” the culprit to be a former employee and is working with Queensland Police Service to find the culprit.
Chheang assured consumers that Donnybrook berries will be adding precaution and putting in metal detectors and other safety equipment to give its customers the best quality strawberries.