Investigators At A Loss To Explain Alarms And Nausea

The TSA shut down Meadows Field airport (BFL) in Bakersfield, CA, on Wednesday after several bottles of honey set off explosive detection monitors.  Two TSA agents were also taken to the hospital after smelling the then-unknown substance and feeling nauseated.

"The substances in the bottles did turn out to be honey. They tested negative for all explosives and narcotics. It is nothing but honey," FBI spokesman Steve Dupre told Reuters.

Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood reported that the bottles initially tested positive for traces of the explosive TNT.  Two security screeners were taken to a nearby hospital for nausea after handling the bottles and reporting a strong chemical odor.  They were treated and released.  Sheriff Youngblood speculated that the TSA agents may have felt nauseous because they were "just nervous."

The owner of the bottles is gardener Francisco Ramirez, 31, who had been visiting family in CA.  After spending most of the day being questioned by police, he was allowed to complete his trip home to Milwaukee after having his honey cleared as non-explosive.  There is no word on what may have caused the detectors to set off alarms.

FMI: www.tsa.gov