The Jerusalem police have launched an investigation into the possible lacing of baby food with psychiatric medication following the arrival of four children at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem last week with symptoms of benzodiazepine poisoning.
The unit will determine if there is a connection to the Prinok brand baby purees sold at two branches of a Jerusalem supermarket chain, Zol VeGadol, and if traces of these two sedative medications were found in them.
Although the Health Ministry said that a causal link has not yet been proven, it closed two branches of the store on Wednesday.
In a statement, the police said they have begun “a series of investigative measures, both overt and covert, to trace the source of the sedative substances and the method by which they were introduced into the products. At this stage, all lines of inquiry are being investigated.”
According to laboratory testing, clonazepam and lorazepam, substances from the benzodiazepine family normally prescribed for anxiety and panic disorders, were found in the jars.
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All the children who were hospitalized after consuming these purees have since been discharged.
“It is important to understand that cases of benzodiazepine poisoning can be life-threatening and usually occur in children due to accidental ingestion in their homes,” Prof. Saar Hashavia, director of the Pediatric Emergency Department at Hadassah Ein Kerem and deputy director of the Hospital, said in a statement.
Prof. Saar Hashavia, director of the Pediatric Emergency Department at Hadassah Ein Kerem and deputy Director of the Hospital. (Courtesy/Hadassah Medical Center)
“The current cluster of cases was unusual both because several children were poisoned simultaneously and because there was a lack of any possible access to prescription medications in the children’s environments,” Hashavia said.
In an interview with Channel 12, Jerusalem resident Yael Bitton said that after two of her daughters ate the puree, “they both collapsed on the floor.”
She said that another family whose child was also hospitalized bought the puree from a store in the same chain.
A United Hatzalah spokesperson said that its dispatch center had received three calls last week about children who had exhibited signs of unresponsiveness, lethargy, and impaired balance. United Hatzalah volunteers responded to the scenes, provided medical assistance, and made sure the children received the necessary care.
The organization gave all relevant details to the Health Ministry for further examination.
Deputy Commissioner Liat Borowski, an investigation and intelligence officer, told the news site that a criminal investigation has been opened to make sure that “there is no other party, a foreign party involved in the matter.”
Borowski said that from the hospital tests, it was determined that the jars were from the same package, “so we are examining whether a foreign entity has intervened and put them in.”
A spokesperson for Randy, the company that distributes Prinok baby foods in Israel, said in a statement that since the product is sold at hundreds of locations throughout the country, “there is no fear of the presence of foreign substances in the product,” and that this is a “unique case.”
In a statement, the ministry reminded the public to make sure that all purchased products are sealed and intact, and sold in their original packaging.
The ministry has distributed a professional directive to hospitals in the Jerusalem area to increase vigilance regarding cases of infants and young children arriving with symptoms that may correspond to exposure to these substances from the benzodiazepine family.
The ministry urged parents whose children ate this product to pay attention to any changes in the children’s behavior, including drowsiness or slurred speech, and to contact their pediatrician and the ministry hotline at *5400.
The ministry reiterated that this is not a sweeping recall of all Prinok products, as currently no indication has been found of a defect or malfunction during manufacturing, nor of contamination occurring within the factory itself, and all tests conducted on products from the importers were found to be normal.
“We are glad that the staff’s vigilance and ability to understand the broader picture catalyzed the authorities’ investigation,” Hashavia said.
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