SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. -- Police are asking consumers in Atlantic Canada to check for metal objects in potatoes supplied by Linkletter Farms Ltd. of Prince Edward Island.
A potato with a metal object in it was discovered in Labrador City, N.L., but there have been no injuries from the product, the RCMP said Tuesday.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Summerside-based Linkletter Farms is voluntarily withdrawing its Link and Market Town brands after receiving a consumer complaint.
Sgt. Leanne Butler said the RCMP is investigating the possibility of food tampering.
The bags of potatoes were sent to locations throughout Atlantic Canada and the food inspection agency's website has details about brands and specific locations.
Linkletter Farms president Gary Linkletter said a photo of a peeled, partly sliced potato with a twisted piece of metal in it was circulating on social media Monday.
"It may be a nail but it's hard to tell," Linkletter said.
He said when he saw the photo, he immediately notified the food inspection agency. The agency has recalled all of the potatoes the company has shipped since late September.
"This is certainly a shock and a concern to us," he said. "We felt the prudent thing to do was ensure all our customers were safe and to get the product off the shelves."
He said the recall is a blow to the fourth-generation, family-owned farming and packing operation, but he's hopeful insurance will mitigate some of his losses.
If metal objects are found in other potatoes, the RCMP is asking the public to call its East Prince detachment.
The food inspection agency said there have been no confirmed illnesses or injuries associated with the consumption of potatoes from the farm, but it is warning consumers to carefully check them for foreign objects.
