Jerusalem baby puree found to contain sedatives, two downtown branches shut

Israel’s Health Ministry said Wednesday that laboratory tests found clonazepam and lorazepam, powerful sedative and anesthetic drugs meant for adults, in jars of Frינוק baby fruit puree. The products were bought at two branches of the Zol u'Vegadol chain on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem, the “Machane” branch at 113 Jaffa Street and another branch at 214 Jaffa Street.

The ministry immediately ordered both stores closed and handed the case to other enforcement bodies, including the Israel Police. According to Channel 12 News, the Shin Bet is also involved in the investigation. The unusual case was uncovered after several toddlers were hospitalized at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem with symptoms including apathy, extreme weakness and exhaustion, and lab tests found benzodiazepine residues in their blood.

The Health Ministry stressed that there is, for now, no broad recall of all Frינוק products. So far, tests have not indicated a manufacturing defect or contamination at the factory, and products tested from importers were found to be normal, suggesting the problem is local to the specific stores.

Parents whose children consumed puree bought at those branches were urged to watch for excessive sleepiness, weakness and fatigue, slurred speech, and loss of balance. One mother whose two children were hospitalized said, “We were at the playground with my neighbor and the children. They ate, and little by little, especially my older one, they became unsteady and started falling to the ground.” She said the symptoms worsened with the amount eaten, adding that her older child became dazed and almost unconscious, while the younger child who ate a few spoonfuls could not sit up and looked very weak. Police and the Health Ministry are jointly investigating how the sedatives entered the puree and whether this was an intentional act or happened during storage or distribution.