RCMP admit they didn’t immediately release information about their investigation into the Prince Edward Island potato-tampering case, saying there was no perceived threat to the public.
According to the RCMP, an investigation began on Oct. 3, when Mounties were called in after sewing needles were found in some of the french fries at a Cavendish Farms processing plant in New Annan, P.E.I.
However, a statement warning the public about the issue was not released until Oct. 6, after it was reported that a tampered potato made its way into a consumer’s home.
RCMP Sgt. Leanne Butler said Thursday that the public now knows about every case.
“As soon as we got the reports the next day that there was a potato in the public, table potatoes, that’s when we did our news release to make sure the public knew right away,” she told CTV Atlantic. “All of what we are aware of has been released at this point.”
In total, needles have been found in six potatoes throughout Atlantic Canada, spanning three provinces. Four of the tampered potatoes were found in Newfoundland and Labrador, one was found in Nova Scotia and one in New Brunswick. The Mounties say in all cases, the metal objects were found before the potatoes were eaten.
RCMP released photos Wednesday of potatoes with the metal needles inserted into them. Butler would not say exactly how many needles were found during the RCMP investigation.
Police said someone intentionally inserted the needles in the potatoes. They also believe all of the tampered potatoes came from Linkletter Farms in Summerside, P.E.I., which supplies the Cavendish Farms plant with its potatoes.
Linkletter Farms said it immediately notified the Canadian Food Inspection Agency of the problem last week, when it was discovered.
Last week, 14 truckloads of potatoes were taken away and destroyed from the Cavendish processing plant.
“Roughly 800,000 pounds of both product, as well as raw potatoes that were identified from the Linkletter Farms, have either been destroyed… (or) are now in quarantine with the RCMP,” said Mary Keith, of Cavendish Farms.
Cavendish Farms says none of the product stemming from the tampered potatoes was shipped to market and consumers were not at risk.
Keith would not divulge the cost of destroying the potatoes -- only saying public safety is all that matters.
A team of RCMP investigators continue to work on the case, and police are asking consumers in Atlantic Canada to check for metal objects in their potatoes. Anyone who finds any objects are asked to contact police.
According to Butler, potato tampering is extremely rare.“This is the first (case) in my recollection of 20-plus years, so it’s not a normal complaint we receive. Somebody is trying to be funny or whatever it is. It’s not very funny; it’s a hell of a thing to do.”
