Police in Victoria are investigating an alleged threat of food tampering made against the first company in Australia to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for all its staff.
Key points:
- Food processor SPC reported the video to police, saying the company needs to take all threats seriously
- Shepparton detectives are investigating whether an offence has occurred
- SPC’s chief executive said he believed the video was in direct response to the vaccine mandate
Chief executive of SPC, Robert Giles, said a video relating to product contamination was sent to the company’s social media during the week.
“We’ve seen in the media in the past years how serious that tampering with food products is,” Mr Giles said.
“It’s actually a jailable offence and we take that type of responsibility to our product and the safety of our product extremely seriously.”
Shepparton Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating whether an offence has occurred.
People found guilty of malicious food contamination can face up to 15 years in jail.
The fruit and vegetable processor, based in Shepparton in Victoria’s north-east, announced earlier this month it would become the first Australian company to mandate vaccines for all onsite staff and visitors.
The cannery wants all 450 onsite workers to be fully vaccinated by November.
Mr Giles said it was believed the threat was the result of the announcement.
“We would hope that nobody would follow through, but we have to take these things seriously to assure people of the safety of our product,” he said.
He said he wanted to assure the public that the Shepparton factory had strong quality controls in place to prevent any kind of tampering.
Mr Giles said while the company was prepared for some backlash, the video was “really disappointing”.
“I’m happy for people to have their disagreements and have their own points of view, but this has stepped over the line.”
The question of mandatory vaccination creates a legal and political headache for the Commonwealth, states and territories, unions and regulators.
Aged care workers, quarantine workers and some transport, airport and healthcare workers are required by state and territory laws to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Some enterprise bargaining agreements or other work contracts can also mandate vaccination.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has promised there will not be an expansion of the vaccine mandate beyond those frontline roles.
The office of the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) this week updated its guidelines for employers and their workers, outlining four tiers of work where vaccination may or may not be reasonable to mandate.
Employees with public interaction, but in high-risk or vulnerable settings, fall into the third tier, where reasonableness will be determined on a “case-by-case” basis.
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