Cavendish Farms finds more potatoes with sewing needles

Cavendish Farms said Monday it has called in the RCMP in Prince Edward Island to investigate new cases of tampered potatoes.

The food company said that sewing needles were found during a production run on Dec. 27 and 28 at a french fry plant in New Annan.

Cavendish Farms said in a news release that it informed both the RCMP and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency when the discovery was made.

Metal detectors in the processing area worked according to procedure and found the needles, the company said. The contaminated product was quarantined and did not leave the plant site.

As a result, there will be no recall, the company said. Forty thousand kilograms of raw potatoes and finished product were destroyed as a precaution.

In this latest case the potatoes involved did not come from Linkletter Farms in Summerside, the source of other tampered potatoes discovered this fall.

CBC News was told the investigation has narrowed the potential source of these potatoes to the 2014 harvest from a P.E.I. farm, but no further details on what farm they came from have been released. The company is also not saying how many needles were found due to the ongoing police investigation.

The RCMP's investigation into the tampering began in early October when a tampered potato was discovered in a bag purchased in Newfoundland and Labrador. Since then, at least 10 cases have been reported.

This is not the first time Cavendish Farms has found tampered potatoes.

RCMP were first called out to the Cavendish Farms plant in New Annan on Oct. 3 when metal objects, later identified as sewing needles, were found in french fries on a production run.

There have been no arrests in any of the cases of sewing needles found in potatoes.

The Prince Edward Island Potato Board has offered up to $100,000 as a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for recent potato tampering incidents.

Anyone with information can call the RCMP at 902-436-9300.  If people want to remain anonymous they can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or through the website www.peicrimestoppers.com.

The reward for tips is in effect until January 31, 2015.