An Indian-origin mother in Melbourne has shared a concerning post claiming that her son found a needle inside a Cherry Ripe chocolate collected during Halloween trick-or-treating.
In a post shared in a Facebook group, the mother wrote:
“My son yesterday got Cherry Ripe from Halloween trick treats. He found needles. Please be careful. I am attaching the picture.”
The post prompted a range of reactions, with some users expressing concern and others questioning the circumstances surrounding the alleged discovery.
One person asked whether the chocolate had already been split open when the packet was opened, questioning how the needle could have been inserted. Another user recalled finding a needle in an apple several years ago, saying the fruit had come from a pre-packaged children’s bag purchased at Coles. The user said police had attended and taken the apple and its packaging.
Other commenters urged the family to retrace their trick-or-treating route to identify where the chocolate had been collected.
Several expressed outrage at the possibility of someone deliberately placing a sharp object in children’s treats.
One commenter argued that it was possible to pierce chocolate through its foil wrapper without opening the packet, while another shared a link suggesting similar incidents had occurred elsewhere.
The claim has prompted comparisons with Australia’s 2018 strawberry contamination scare, which began on 9 September that year when a man reportedly found a needle in a strawberry he had purchased from a supermarket.
As further reports emerged across the country, strawberries were removed from supermarket shelves. Authorities ultimately recorded 230 needle-contamination incidents nationwide, involving 68 strawberry brands. Many of the reported incidents were believed to involve copycat acts.
There is no confirmation in the information available that the Melbourne incident involved deliberate tampering or that the alleged needle discovery has been verified by police.
Parents are advised to check children’s treats carefully and contact police if they discover a suspected foreign object.
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