An Ottawa resident found metal pins in a fresh turkey from Manitoba after cooking the bird, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said Friday.

The incident of "suspected tampering" has been referred to the police, CFIA said in a news release.

The agency examined 505 packaged birds from a Manitoba warehouse and the Loblaws store in Kanata, an Ottawa suburb, where the turkey was bought, but didn't find any more pins.

"The evidence gathered to date indicates a very high probability that this is an isolated incident," the agency said.

The producer, Granny's Poultry Co-Operative (Manitoba) Ltd., distributes its turkeys nationally.

The consumer cooked the turkey and was slicing it when the pins were found. No one was injured in the incident.

CFIA said consumers should be vigilant. Signs of tampering include:

* Unusual cuts or holes in the packaging.
* Abnormal discoloration of meat.

Advisory notice