Needles were found in products at Woolworths in Papakura. Photo: Supplied/Woolworths
Police are investigating after needles were found in two different food products at a supermarket in Auckland.
The needles were reportedly found at the Woolworth's in Papakura on Wednesday.
Food Safety deputy director general Vincent Arbuckle said food safety officers would be onsite Thursday to support police.
"Police are making initial enquiries into the matter, with New Zealand Food Safety's support, to ensure that consumers are not at risk."
The affected product has been removed from the shelves, Arbuckle said.
"We are closely monitoring the situation. Based on information to date there is no evidence of a wider risk to food safety. If there was, we would take immediate action to keep consumers safe."
Arbuckle said there are only two products where needles have been found, but could not name them at this stage.
"There is no evidence, at this time, that any other products have been implicated. The supermarket is monitoring the store and stock closely. If we had any concerns that there was a wider risk to consumers we would certainly communicate this promptly."
CCTV footage at the Woolworths store is being reviewed, he said.
"Although we are taking this seriously, cases of deliberate tampering of food are extremely rare in New Zealand."
A spokesperson for Woolworths New Zealand said the finding of needles was being taken "extremely seriously", with food safety being their priority.
"We are working closely with NZ Food Safety and police on this matter and following their guidance," the spokesperson said.
Massey University professor of marketing Bodo Lang said the fiasco could potentially be devastating for Woolworths and the brand involved.
"I think there would be an immediate really severe backlash against that brand in terms of purchasing behaviour, we would see an immediate downturn in purchasing," Dr Lang told Midday Report.
Needles found in food at Auckland supermarket
"What do you then do with that product? It would be a real disaster for that brand."
He suggested Woolworths had avoided disclosing the affected products to protect its brand.
"I think if they were to say 'look we've had a variety of needles found in a number of different products in different aisles across the supermarket' I think that would just spell disaster for the supermarket in Papakura," he said.
"People would just not be able to trust those products in the aisles anymore."
But he believed the supermarket should be transparent.
"Look I think it's important to build trust ... from their perspective the smartest thing really would be to be completely transparent to build consumer trust," he said.
"Yes there might be an immediate backlash, but these are really large entities and in time people will revert back to their old purchasing habits which is typically going to the supermarket closest to where you live."
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