FBI nab man who sprayed poison on food at Whole Foods, Meijer

ANN ARBOR, Mich. --- The FBI  arrested a man suspected of contaminating food at three grocery stores with a liquid spray containing mice poison, hand cleaner and water.

According to Detroit's FBI Chief David P. Gelios, the suspect was identified and taken into custody Tuesday following tips from the public.

The FBI has not named the suspect, saying only that he has admitted to using a potentially hazardous material to contaminate food in several Ann Arbor area grocery stores, and that he sprayed the produce within the last two weeks.

The suspect is linked to possible contamination at open food bars over the last two weeks at a Whole Foods, Meijer an Plum Market in Ann Arbor.

The FBI said the suspect visited several other grocery stores in the Ann Arbor area in the last few months and the investigation is ongoing in order to determine if any other stores were targeted.

Investigators are currently coordinating with health officials to determine the extent of any contamination and the threat to the public.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development issued a public advisory, urging consumers to throw away any potentially contaminated food. State health officials said based on what they know about the ingredients in the mixture at this time, they do not anticipate any adverse health effects on individuals who may have eaten the 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, MDARD director. "Although most of these types of foods may have already been eaten or disposed of, some may still be in refrigerators or freezers."

Based on the FBI investigation, state health officials say there's the potential that other stores in Michigan may also have been targeted.

"While the risk for adverse health effects appears to be low, more investigation is being done to determine what level of exposure may have occurred," said Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

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