A restaurant in Merced is closed and is undergoing a police investigation for contaminated food with a controlled substance^[1] of unknown origin, police say.

Merced police are investigating Carniceria Los Cerritos after a local hospital reported that several individuals came in with food poisoning after eating there.

Police say that a preliminary investigation showed that food was contaminated with a controlled substance of unknown origin.

Carniceria Los Cerritos at 235 West 12th Street will be closed for further investigation.

Merced Division of Environmental Health is leading the investigation but plans to get in contact with other public health officials to investigate the situation.

^[1] A controlled substance is a drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession, and use are regulated by the government.