Mission Viejo : Store Reopens After Fumes Taint Food

Forced to close on its “Grand Reopening Day” when customers became ill after eating contaminated food, a Ralph’s supermarket reopened Friday morning after the store replaced part of its inventory, company officials said.

The company had voluntarily agreed to close its store at 25401 Marguerite Parkway when at least two Mission Viejo families complained of stomach cramps and nausea after eating cooked and packaged food bought from the store.

Company officials traced the odor 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 non-toxic fumes had permeated some of the soft packages that were later removed from shelves. He declined to specify the losses incurred because of the contamination.

“It was sizable,” Marasca said.

He said Ralph’s will try to recover its losses from the contractor. The store will also make refunds or replace goods that were tainted by the fumes.

The store had planned “a grand reopening” Thursday to celebrate its $2-million remodeling.