One man is in police custody after he admitted to spraying a homemade contaminant on produce and food bars at several Michigan grocery stores. The man was identified and taken into custody through a joint investigation by the Ann Arbor Police Department and the FBI with tips from the public directly leading to the man’s identification.
According to the FBI, the investigation revealed the man used a liquid mixture of hand cleaner, water and mice poison to spray on food at three Ann Arbor area grocery stores throughout the past two weeks. The suspect admitted to visiting several other grocery stores during the last few months and the FBI says the investigation is ongoing to determine if these stores were victimized.
State and local health officials say based on the known ingredients in the mixture at this time, they do not anticipate any adverse health effects on individuals who may have ingested potentially contaminated products.
“Out of an abundance of caution and to protect public health and food safety, I encourage consumers to dispose of any foods purchased from salad bars, olive bars and ready-to-eat hot and cold food areas from these stores between mid-March and the end of April,” said Jamie Clover Adams, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Although most of these types of foods may have already been eaten or disposed of, some may still be in refrigerators or freezers.”