Health Ministry says baby food jars were tampered with before sale, deepening poisoning probe

Israel’s Health Ministry said Friday that five jars of Prinoq baby puree containing anesthetic substances had been opened illegally before they were bought in a supermarket, sharply strengthening suspicions of deliberate tampering. The finding came after a broad laboratory investigation launched following the hospitalization of five children.

The Jerusalem District Police is leading the case and is also examining the serious possibility that the poisoning was carried out for nationalist motives. As part of the initial health review, National Food Service inspectors sampled hundreds of products across the country and found five contaminated items containing clonazepam and lorazepam, both strong benzodiazepine sedatives.

Three of the tainted products were handed over by the affected families, while two others were discovered by inspectors on the shelves of the Zol u’Begadol chain in Jerusalem. The ministry said the key and most alarming finding was that the jars had been opened unlawfully before purchase, while a further review of import and supply-chain data found no failure in production in the Czech Republic, import, or storage.

Because all products checked at the official importer tested normal, the ministry said there is no basis for a nationwide recall and that the incident appears confined to the points of sale. The case surfaced after five infants and young children arrived at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem with unusual clinical symptoms consistent with exposure to anesthetic agents, prompting the hospital team to alert authorities. Since then, immediate administrative closure orders were issued for two Zol u’Begadol branches on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem. The ministry is now closely involved in the criminal investigation, has told hospitals nationwide to stay alert for similar cases, and urged parents to buy only sealed original packaging, check that jar vacuum seals are intact, and seek medical advice immediately if a child’s behavior changes suddenly.