Sharp shock appears in breakfast cereal

By JOSIE CLARKE consumer reporter

The discovery of a sharp blade in a packet of Weetbix has health officials suspecting sabotage.

Brent Carey found the Stanley knife blade measuring about 3cm by 1.5cm in the middle of his 1kg packet on Thursday morning.

He is disgusted Sanitarium has not warned the public and recalled the batch.

Sanitarium New Zealand regional manager Jim Richards said the company was greatly distressed and was doing everything it could to find answers, including interviewing staff.

He said detectors made it "impossible" for a product with metal in it to make it out of the factory.

"We're almost at the point where we'd say it's impossible that this could happen, but clearly it has and that leaves us struggling for an answer."

The company had to consider the possibility of sabotage, "but we're still a long way from saying it definitely is.

"I wouldn't want to make any accusations, but once it's out of our factory it's out of our control."

Mr Richards said there was no need to recall Weetbix because it was clearly a one-off situation.

"We would immediately withdraw the product if another blade was found."

Auckland's Public Health Service is investigating the complaint and the factory, and has taken the blade and packet for testing.

Service spokeswoman Kathy Pritchard said it was "highly unlikely" that the blade had arrived in the packet by accident because there were no Stanley knife blades in any of the factory's machinery.

"Based on the information we have so far, it is likely to be sabotage," she said.

Ms Pritchard said Sanitarium was legally required to sell safe food, but was not under any obligation to warn the public in this case.

"Even if there is another blade, there is no way someone could swallow it."

The service would reconsider if it received more complaints.

Mr Carey feared a young child reaching into the packet could have been badly injured by the blade. He said Sanitarium had not apologised to him.