Local News in Brief : No Tampering Found in Suspect Cereal Boxes

No evidence of contamination or product tampering was found in two boxes of Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats that were tested when their purchasers reported becoming ill after eating the cereal, state Department of Health Services officials said Tuesday.

Frank Nava, chief field officer of the department’s Food and Drug Branch, said tests of cereal purchased in Calabasas and Hawthorne showed a minute amount of ethyl alcohol, possibly produced by fermentation of cereal grains and sugar, but not at a level considered a health risk.

“There were no levels of anything that would be of concern to public safety,” Nava said. “We don’t have any explanation as to what caused the illnesses.”

Florie Ayalon, 25, told authorities Sunday she bought the cereal July 23 from a Ralphs market in Calabasas and experienced nausea, vomiting, cramping and a choking sensation after eating it. A day earlier, Vivian Starkovich, 20, of Lawndale, had reported similar symptoms after eating cereal purchased at a Luckys market in Hawthorne.

A Ralphs spokesman said Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats were pulled from 129 stores in Southern California after the report. A spokesman for Luckys markets could not be reached for comment.