Sedatives Found in Jerusalem Baby Food as Police and Shin Bet Investigate

by | Jun 18, 2026 | News

person feeding baby

Israeli authorities have launched an urgent criminal investigation after powerful sedatives were found in baby food purees sold in Jerusalem, sickening four young children and prompting a rare public alert to parents.

At least four toddlers were hospitalized at Hadassah-University Medical Center in Ein Kerem after eating fruit puree and showing symptoms that included weakness, apathy and confusion. The four, made up of two pairs of siblings aged one and three, were discharged the following day and reported to be in good condition. Laboratory testing found clonazepam and lorazepam, benzodiazepine-family drugs normally prescribed for anxiety and panic disorders, in the jars.

The products were traced to a single brand and chain. Investigators are examining whether traces of the two sedatives were present in Prinok-brand baby purees sold at two branches of the Zol U’Begadol supermarket chain, and the Health Ministry closed both branches on Wednesday. The affected stores are on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem, and immediate closure orders were issued while additional enforcement bodies, including the Israel Police and the Shin Bet, were brought in.

A striking detail emerged from the police inquiry into the stores themselves. The two branches where the contaminated products were found had been operating without a business license and under poor sanitary conditions, and their managers were summoned for police questioning.

Officials have been careful about cause. Police said no suspects had been arrested or questioned over the suspected tampering, and it was too early to determine whether the motive was criminal or nationalist. Investigators are awaiting further findings on where and when the substances entered the products, whether at the factory, in transit, or after the jars reached the Jerusalem stores, and the Health Ministry has not ordered a sweeping recall of all Prinok products. Tests on products obtained from importers came back normal, steering suspicion toward interference at a later stage.

The case has rattled families, particularly in the largely Haredi neighborhoods the chain serves. One father told Israeli media his family was questioned for two hours on suspicion of harming their own children before the laced food was identified. The Health Ministry urged the public to check that products are sealed and intact, and the Knesset Health Committee is set to take up the matter.

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