Poisoned Baby Food Found in California
NewsMax.com Wires
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
IRVINE, Calif. Trace amounts of the deadly poison ricin
have been found in at least one jar of baby food that had been
tampered with, the FBI said Wednesday.
The FBI and prosecutors are investigating two suspected cases of
food tampering. No injuries or arrests have been reported, FBI
spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.
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Authorities have not disclosed the amount of ricin discovered,
the number of baby food jars that contained the poison or a
possible motive.
On June 16, a man told Irvine police that as he was about to
feed his son, he found a note inside a jar of baby food warning
that it had been contaminated. A similar case was reported by an
Irvine couple on May 31 involving the same baby food, Gerber Banana
Yogurt, police said. A note was also found inside that jar.
Investigators were testing Gerber Banana Yogurt removed from the
store where both jars were purchased. They did not specify whether
the ricin was found in both jars.
Authorities did not disclose the contents of the notes but said
they referred to an Irvine police officer.
Gerber Products Co., based in Parsippany, N.J., is working
with investigators. Authorities told the company the contamination
"absolutely" occurred after the food was manufactured, said
Gerber spokeswoman Terry Boylan.
Gerber baby food jars are vacuum sealed and should pop when
opened. If they don't, it could indicate they have been tampered
with, Boylan said.
Ricin is made from castor beans and can be fatal if swallowed,
inhaled or injected. A dose about the size of the head of a pin
could be enough to kill an adult, according to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
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