A 50-year-old woman has been arrested and charged by Queensland Police following a "complex investigation" into the alleged contamination of strawberries in September.
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Queensland authorities notified the public of a safety risk on September 12 after punnets of strawberries were found to contain needles.
Six brands of strawberries were affected across several states, with health authorities urging consumers to cut up the fruit before eating it.
Police in Queensland launched a national investigation with other government, law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
On Sunday, the woman was arrested and charged with seven counts contamination of goods.
Police will allege there was a circumstance of aggravation, which will elevate the maximum penalty to 10 years behind bars.
The woman will appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday.
Detective Superintendent Jon Wacker from the Drug and Serious Crime Group said the investigation was "major and unprecedented" with "a lot of complexities involved".
“The Queensland Police Service has allocated a significant amount of resources to ensure those responsible are brought to justice," Superintendent Wacker said.
“While the investigation is far from over, I would like to acknowledge the tireless effort of our investigators as well as members from all other agencies across Australia who played a role.
“I would also like to thank those within the strawberry industry for their co-operation and members of the public who assisted us with our inquiries.”
The Queensland Strawberry Growers Association welcomed the arrest, praising police for their sustained efforts to conclude the investigation.
However, the association criticised social media for creating a "crisis" of copycat sabotage.
"All of government and industry is currently undertaking intensive review of the events and behaviours that brought the Queensland strawberry industry to its knees," the association said in a statement.
"All farmers and growers sincerely hope there will not be a repeat of past events."
Peak horticulture body Growcom chief executive David Thomson told Channel Nine's Today that growers were "delighted" with the news.
"We'll let the courts deal with it, but if it's a guilty verdict then please, the full arm of the law should be implemented," he said.
"In Queensland the strawberry season has moved south now so in the southern states I hope everything will be fine. Up here in Queensland we're still nursing our wounds.
"The Palaszczuk government and the Morrison government gave us some funds so we're using that to re-establish the industry."
In September, the federal government announced new penalties for food contamination.
