Alpha Beta Counters Taint Peril

Alpha Beta supermarket officials pulled products off store shelves today in response to threats of food contamination and the discovery of syringes at five suburban markets.

Roasts, oranges and cheeses--the products listed for insecticide contamination in an anonymous letter received Monday by several news organizations--were being removed from shelves at all 42 Alpha Beta stores in Southern California as a precaution, Senior Vice President Bill Wade said. Laboratory tests on a clear liquid found in syringes at five stores were not yet completed, but Wade said Alpha Beta has received no reports of tainted food and stressed that its action was precautionary.