Israel’s Health Ministry said on Friday that five jars of Frinok baby puree sold in two Jerusalem branches contained sedatives. After the findings, the district physician issued administrative closure orders for the stores, and hospitals were told to prepare for possible additional poisoning cases. Police are investigating the incident.
The probe began after five children were taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in recent days with symptoms of poisoning. Health inspectors then tested hundreds of products nationwide and found the drugs clonazepam and lorazepam in five jars. Three of the jars came from families who had bought them at branches of the Zol u’Gadol chain in Jerusalem, and two more were taken from the chain’s shelves.
The ministry said the contaminated jars had been opened illegally before being sold to customers, and that there was no sign of a manufacturing or storage failure. On that basis, it decided not to order a recall of all products under the brand. District physician of Jerusalem signed closure orders for the two Zol u’Gadol branches at 113 Jaffa Street and 214 Jaffa Street.
The Health Ministry also inspected the importer’s warehouses, the company Randi, and received statements from the manufacturer in the Czech Republic. Randi said the evidence points to an outside party that intentionally introduced the foreign substances into the products. Investigators are examining all possibilities, including a possible nationalist motive, and are trying to determine at what stage the drugs were inserted, from transport to placement on store shelves.
All of the children who were poisoned after eating the puree have since been discharged from hospital. The ministry urged parents to make sure packaged foods are intact and hermetically sealed before use, to look for the vacuum seal click when opening jars, and not to consume products that lack their normal color or smell. Parents whose children ate the product and now show drowsiness, fatigue or confused speech were told to contact a doctor and the Health Ministry hotline.
