By JPOST.COM STAFF, JUDY SIEGEL
Senior Health Ministry employees will stand trial in the case against the Remedia baby formula company that sold a shipment of soy-based powder in 2003, which failed to include a vital B vitamin and killed three infants, causing serious neurological damage to others, State Attorney Moshe Lador announced Monday.
Three Remedia officials - former owner Moshe Miller, CEO Gideon Landsberger and food technologist Frederick Black will face charges including negligent manslaughter. Another five people, all employees of the Health Ministry, will face indictments on lesser charges.
The most prominent among them is Dr. Dorit Nitzan, former head of the ministry's food and nutrition service. The four others - Naserine Houri, Yosef Heskel, Raisa Parvarov and Berta Shwem - are all ministry supervisors at the Haifa and Ashdod ports.
All five were supposed to have tested the 'Super Vegetarian' formula and will also be indicted on charges of negligence in carrying out their jobs and actions liable to spread disease.