Four infants were hospitalized in Jerusalem on Thursday after consuming fruit puree laced with anesthetic substances.
Two one-year-olds and two 3-year-olds were taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital after exhibiting signs of confusion and weakness.
Blood tests found traces of benzodiazepines, a substance used in psychiatric medications and sedatives.
The children were all discharged from the hospital in stable condition.
Israel Police opened an investigation over the weekend after confirming that three of the infants had consumed baby puree from the brand Prinok. So far, no suspects have been identified.
Randi, the company that markets the brand in Israel, said that it is “committed to the health of infants,” emphasizing that its products are high-quality and “tested by an accredited laboratory at the production plant, and are tested again upon entry into the country by the Health Ministry.”
The company noted that tests carried out at the manufacturing plant did not reveal any unusual findings. “Tests conducted at the manufacturing plant show that there is no concern of foreign substances in the products, and as a precaution, product samples were also sent to the Health Ministry for testing,” it said.
It added that the Health Ministry’s preliminary review reveals that the incident was local. “Given that the product is sold at hundreds of points across the country, we estimate that there may have been external interference with the product,” it said.
Randi emphasized that it will continue to monitor the findings and share any new information with the public.
