AKIPRESS.COM - The Australian government says it will introduce stricter criminal penalties in response to a fruit contamination scare that has alarmed the country, BBC reports.

Authorities are investigating more than 100 reports of people finding needles concealed within strawberries and other fruits since last week, officials said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said culprits would face 15-year jail terms.

That would make the penalty on par with crimes such as child pornography and financing terrorism, he said.

"That's how seriously our government takes it," Mr Morrison said on Wednesday, urging parliament to pass the new laws this week.

Currently, the maximum sentence for contaminating food is 10 years. The Labor opposition said it would support the change.

Mr Morrison said the new legislation would also target those behind copycat and hoax incidents.

"You are putting the livelihoods of hard-working Australians at risk, and you are scaring children," Mr Morrison said.

"And you are a coward and a grub."

In Queensland, where cases were first reported, police have said they are focusing on complicated food supply chains.

The scare has prompted product calls, forcing some growers in the A$130m annual industry to destroy their crops.

Exporters have been ordered to undergo tighter checks, including mandatory screening of produce through metal detectors or X-ray machines.

The government has urged consumers to continue purchasing strawberries, but to cut them up before consumption.