Ottawa police reach out to Atlantic Canada counterparts in tampered potato investigation

Ottawa police investigating a potato-tampering case do not believe it is linked to a larger investigation ongoing in Prince Edward Island, Canada’s potato heartland.

Though the similarities between the Ottawa incident, in which a needle was found stuck inside the spud, was enough to prompt investigators to reach out to their Atlantic Canada counterparts.

Police say an Ottawa resident reported finding a needle stuck into a potato they had purchased at a local store in the past week. Det. Peter Van Der Zander told Yahoo Canada News that the complaint spotted the needle while peeling potatoes.

He declined to detail the potato or its origins.

"I think that to release the name of the store it was purchased at or the brand name of the potato would only serve to give the public a false sense of security," he said.

"We all know that potatoes can come from one farm and be sold under many different names. We want the public to be cautious regardless of what store it was purchased at and regardless of what brand name the potato was."

The Ottawa incident comes as RCMP officers in Prince Edward Island proceed with their own investigation into several potato tampering reports. As many as seven separate instances across Atlantic Canada have since been reported.

That investigation began in early October, when residents of several Atlantic Provinces began reporting the purchase of potatoes with needles found inside.

That investigation was publicly connected to a specific P.E.I. potato farm, and later traced to a French fry production facility as well.

"It appears the metal sewing needles were intentionally placed in the potatoes prior to the potatoes being sent to the production facility," reads the latest RCMP investigation update. “The affected potatoes appear to have originated from a Linkletter Farms Inc. in P.E.I.”

RCMP Sgt. Leanne Butler said on Friday that there had been no recent developments in their investigation, and did not address whether the Ottawa case could be linked in any way.

Ottawa police investigators have been in contact with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa health officials and the RCMP. Van Der Zander said they have been in contact with officers in P.E.I., though he said the cases did not seem to be related.

"We have touched base with the RCMP leading the investigation in Atlantic Canada. At the present time, we are going to let the evidence drive our investigation … and based on the evidence gathered so far there does not appear to be a link."

Van Der Zander urged Ottawa residents to take extra precautions while preparing food, especially when children are assisting. Police have urged the public to come forward with any similar instances.