LOCAL : Store Reopens With Fresh Stock

A Ralph’s supermarket in Mission Viejo that was closed Thursday after some customers became ill from eating contaminated food reopened this morning after the store replaced a sizable portion of its inventory, company officials said.

The company had agreed to close its store at 25401 Marguerite Parkway when at least two Mission Viejo families complained they suffered stomach cramps and nausea after eating cooked and packaged food bought from the store. Company officials traced the contamination to a heavy-duty cleaner called Limasol that was used by a contractor who recently remodeled the store.

Al Marasca, executive vice president of marketing, said a non-toxic odor had permeated some of the soft packages, adding that they have since been removed from the shelves. He declined to specify the losses incurred because of the contamination.

He said the store will make refunds or replace goods that were tainted by the odor.