Food tampering scandals that shocked the world

Australia's government launched an official probe after sewing needles were found stuck inside strawberries across the country. Reports of the tampered berries popped up in six out of the country's seven states, with officials worried about copycat cases. At least one person was taken to the hospital after eating a strawberry with a needle inside.

Consumers in Australia weren't the only ones to take cautious bites out of their food this year. In January, metal pins were found stuck in food from a grocery store in the southwestern German town of Offenburg. The pins were found in in several bakery items, including toast bread, as well as a salami snack.

Parents across Germany were sent into a panic last September after authorities found baby food jars in Friedrichshafen laced with ethylene glycol — the sweet-tasting compound used in antifreeze. It can cause kidney failure and even death. A 55-year-old man threatened to poison more food in German supermarkets if he didn't receive €10 million ($12 million). He was later arrested and confessed.

More than 30 people died in the Punjab province of Pakistan after eating laddu, a baked sweet, that had been purposely poisoned. The brother of the sweet shop owner later admitted to police that he'd mixed a potent pesticide into the sweets after a family argument. More than 70 people were affected by the poisoned treats.

Supermarkets in Italy were on high alert for several months in 2003 over contaminated water bottles. Bleach and acetone was injected into the tops of water bottles using a syringe. Police at the time believed that the unknown suspect or suspects belonged to radical anti-capitalist or environmentalist groups. Over a dozen people became sick after drinking the tainted water.

It was the case that started it all — seven people in the US city of Chicago died after taking Tylenol-branded pain relief pills that had been laced with potassium cyanide. No one was ever charged for the deaths and the case remains unsolved. The deaths prompted pharmaceutical companies to develop packaging that is tamper-resistant.