Hunter residents are being urged to be extra vigilant while eating strawberries with reports of a needle being found in a punnet bought at the Green Hills shopping centre.
A Woodville resident bought four punnets of Wallace Road Berries strawberries from the Coles supermarket on Wednesday, before finding a needle in one of the berries on Saturday.
The incident has since been reported to police, who are now conducting forensic examinations on the affected berry.
It follows reports of needles being found in strawberries in five states and territories across the country, with initial investigations suggesting a disgruntled former farm employee could be behind the contamination.
Many of the berries have been recalled and pulled from the shelves of major supermarkets.
Image: Brian Prechtel [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons