A third infant has been hospitalized after consuming Prinok baby fruit puree, amid a police and Shin Bet investigation into suspicions that anesthetic drugs were deliberately introduced into the product. The Shin Bet's involvement follows Channel 14's report Wednesday evening, though the agency has denied any current role.
A third infant has been hospitalized after consuming Prinok baby fruit puree, as the Shin Bet's role in the investigation remains disputed. Channel 14 reported Wednesday evening that the security agency has joined the probe, but the Shin Bet has denied any involvement at this stage — consistent with its denial earlier Wednesday when its participation was first reported. The new hospitalization brings the number of affected infants to at least three, following the earlier reports of four toddlers hospitalized from the Jerusalem area.
Earlier Wednesday, the Health Ministry ordered the closure of two Zol VeGadol supermarket branches on Jaffa Road, Jerusalem, as the police launched a criminal investigation. As The Zioneer reported at 20:57, Jerusalem district police were examining the possibility that sedative drugs were deliberately injected into individual jars sold at those two branches. By 13:05 Jerusalem, the Shin Bet was first reported to have joined the probe, though it denied involvement at the time.
MK Yizhak Ginzburg (Otzma Yehudit) has called for an urgent Knesset Health Committee hearing, warning that the product may still be on shelves. The Health Ministry has not ordered a full recall of Prinok products, finding no indication of systemic contamination at the production plant, as previously reported.
The specific substance involved and the condition of the hospitalized infants remain undisclosed. The Shin Bet's current role in the investigation is unclear — the agency has not confirmed participation, and it is not known whether it has formally joined the criminal probe.
6 developments
- StrongPolice probe suspected deliberate poisoning in Prinok baby puree affair
- StrongShin Bet investigates 'fruit hybrids' affair after findings handed over
- StrongHealth Ministry expands Prinok puree recall — anesthetics clonazepam, lorazepam found in second batch
- StrongSedatives found in baby food sold in Israel — police probe expanded
Source and signal
- Internal intake