Employee at Lehigh County Giant to be charged after putting sewing needles in food packaging: PSP
LOWER MACUNGIE TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Police in Lehigh County are warning shoppers after a former employee at a local supermarket was found to be tampering with products.
According to Pennsylvania State Police, troopers were dispatched to the Giant on Hamilton Boulevard in Lower Macungie Township on Wednesday for a report of food tampering.
Authorities say investigators learned a store employee put sewing needles into grocery store items, which were purchased and returned by customers.
BLOOMSBURG, UNITED STATES - 2022/08/18: The logo of Giant is seen on the exterior of its store in Bloomsburg. Giant operates more than 190 grocery stores across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and New Jersey. (Photo by Paul Weaver/SO
A spokesperson from The Giant Company told FOX 29 the now-former employee was identified through surveillance video and an internal investigation.
The impacted products included bagged vegetables and a single Tastykake packaging, officials say. In addition, customers who purchased King Hawaiian Bread Rolls and StarKist Light Tuna Large pouch - pouches larger than the 2.6 ounce size - and suspect those packages may have been tampered with are asked to return the items to Giant. The Pennsylvania State Police Fogelsville Criminal Investigation Unit is asking to be notified, at 610-395-1438.
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Police say the former employee is a juvenile who is set to be charged in connection with the tampering.
Authorities are recommending shoppers who purchased grocery items from the store between Thursday, April 13, to Wednesday, April 19, check their purchased items for signs of tampering.
In a statement, Giant said, "The safety of GIANT customers is our top priority and we take matters like this very seriously. We appreciate the diligent work of law enforcement and are cooperating fully with their investigation."
The store says customers who believe their products were tampered with should notify authorities and return the products to the store for a full refund.