THE Ministry of Health said yesterday it was still carrying out investigations to determine why three Gregory Park, St Catherine, neighbours died in October after drinking a health food drink, Advant Edge Carb Control, distributed by the charity, Food for the Poor.

Denver Taylor, 28, Lesa Moncrieffe, 14, a student of the Braeton Primary and Junior High School, and 17-year old Keibian Duhaney died from suspected food poisoning after allegedly drinking Advant Edge. Meanwhile, 19 year-old Horatio McFarlane, who also had the ready-to-drink shake, was hospitalised, but recovered. All four were from Walkers Avenue in Gregory Park, St Catherine.

But on Friday, the health ministry said tests done on the ready-to-drink shake, in collaboration with the Bureau of Standards and overseas laboratories, indicate that it was not contaminated.

“The investigations have shown that the products were wholesome, and there was no evidence of contamination of the products tested,” said the health ministry said in a statement.

“The Ministry of Health is continuing the investigations to arrive at a conclusive determination of the cause of the poisoning…, and wishes to thank all persons who assisted, including the family, the community, the health team and Food for the Poor for their cooperation in facilitating the investigation,” the statement said.

Yesterday, Dr Erica Reynolds, Hedmann, head of the surveillance unit at the Ministry of Health, told the Observer that the investigations would include the testing of blood and urine taken from the deceased people, as well as other persons that consumed the drink and fell ill.

Last month, the Caymanas police in St Catherine told the

Observer that the post mortem done on the three residents was inconclusive. However, yesterday Dr Hedmann said that further tests had to be done.

In October when Gregory Park residents alleged that Taylor, Moncrieffe and Duhaney had died from suspected food poisoning after consuming the ready-to-drink shake, Bradley Finzi-Smith, the executive director for Food for the Poor, insisted that his organisation was not responsible for the deaths.

However, Food for the Poor subsequently recalled 124,000 boxes of the health shake that had been distributed across the island since last October. It also ceased all distribution of the product.