Health Ministry probes possible poisoning after children hospitalized over baby fruit puree

Israel’s Health Ministry said Monday that it had received two reports of children hospitalized after eating baby fruit puree from the Frinook brand, bought in branches of the Zol UveGadol chain, and that the cases raised concern about a possible link to the product. The ministry opened an epidemiological investigation and began immediate supervision and control measures to urgently examine what happened. Officials said it is still impossible to determine with certainty whether the product caused the incidents.

According to the ministry, the puree was sold as individual units, not in a multipack. The incident is understood to have occurred last Thursday in Jerusalem, when Magen David Adom teams evacuated four children who felt unwell and weak. They were a one-year-old boy, a one-year-old girl, a three-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl.

At first, responders suspected a poisoning source in the home, but the mothers later realized the children had eaten the puree and reported it to the Health Ministry. In hospital at Hadassah Ein Kerem, as reported by Kan 11, the toddlers were found to have anti-anxiety medication in their blood.

The ministry urged parents who fed the product to their children to watch for changes in behavior, including drowsiness, exhaustion or confused speech, and to contact a pediatrician and the ministry hotline at 5400*. It also reminded consumers to check that food products are sealed, properly labeled, stored correctly and have the expected appearance, color and smell. The Health Ministry said it is coordinating with law-enforcement authorities and will keep the public updated.