Tasmania's Public Health authority has acknowledged it is likely contaminated strawberries from Queensland may have made their way across Bass Strait from the mainland.
A growing number of needles and pins have been found secreted in strawberries from Queensland at supermarkets across the country, including, allegedly, in Tasmania.
Police are investigating a social media post made by a Hobart woman on Sunday, claiming her daughter found a sewing needle in a strawberry from a punnet bought at Woolworths in Rosny Park.
While it is not yet known if the case is a hoax, the Acting Director of Public Health Dr Scott McKeown said all Tasmanians should be extremely vigilant when buying and eating the fruit.
"This situation is evolving and progressing quite significantly," Dr McKeown said.
"We're aware now that some of the original three brands that were named, one that was particularly named on Friday, was distributed in Tasmania.
"Our ongoing advice would be regardless of the brand, if you do have strawberries and you want to eat them, do cut them up into small pieces."
Dr McKeown confirmed strawberries from affected brands including Berry Licious, Berry Obsession and Donnybrook Berries, did make their way from Queensland to Tasmania and warned a swallowed needle could cause serious throat, mouth, gullet, stomach or intestinal injuries.
On Monday morning Tasmanian Health Minister Michael Ferguson said he had been told it was unlikely the berries had travelled as far as Tasmania, but Dr McKeown said the situation was fast-changing.
He said he had briefed Tasmanian growers, but with their season not starting until October, he was confident they would not be adversely affected by the scandal.
Woman backs her claim
The health warning came as detectives continued to investigate the Rosny Park sewing needle claim.
Detective Acting Inspector David Richardson said the woman who made the claim did not report it to police but made a statutory declaration on Monday that her claim was true.
The woman's social media account had been deleted and Detective Acting Inspector Richardson called on anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.
He said he was unable to go into the case in great detail in case charges were laid.
"Suffice to say she reported it on social media," he said.
"We've responded to that and we've spoken to her twice in the last 24 hours."
Detective Acting Inspector Richardson said the woman's claim her daughter discovered the sewing needle in the strawberry would form part of the case against those found to be contaminating food products.
He said making a false statutory declaration could result in a Supreme Court prosecution and warned potential copycats to reconsider.
"My message to them would be it's an irresponsible act that causes unnecessary alarm and concern in the community," Detective Acting Inspector Richardson said.
"It affects a whole lot of people including the industry at large and should people wish to behave in that manner we'll pursue those persons as well."
