Australia's strawberry needle scare spurs proposal for 15-year jail term

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia plans to increase the maximum jail term to 15 years for anyone convicted of contaminating foodstuffs, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday, as a scare over needles found in strawberries and other fruits gripped the country.

Police are investigating more than 100 reports of needles found in fruit. Needles, first found in strawberries produced by one supplier in the northern state of Queensland, are now turning up around the country.

On Tuesday, police in New South Wales said they were investigating incidents involving an apple and a banana.

Nobody has sustained serious injury yet, and a senior Australian minister said many of the cases would turn out to be hoaxes.

But with demand plunging, strawberry farmers have been forced to dump produce, casting a shadow over an industry worth A$160 million ($115.84 million).