Police in Austria have urged the public to be vigilant after a sample of HiPP baby food was found to contain rat poison.
In the eastern Burgenland region, a customer reported the tainted jar of carrot and potato purée. Thankfully, the baby did not consume the contaminated food.
Authorities indicated that the jar had been tampered with and suspect that more poisoned jars might still be in circulation. They have provided guidance on how to identify tampered products.
No confirmation has been made regarding an alleged extortion attempt, though police stated that the warning originated from German investigators, with additional traces of tampered jars found in Czech Republic and Slovakia.
HiPP has since recalled its entire range of jarred purées sold in Spar supermarkets in Austria, indicating that consuming them may be potentially life-threatening. The company clarified that the recall is not due to any product or quality defect but is linked to a criminal investigation.
The recall is related to a criminal act that is being investigated by the authorities, HiPP stated on its website, which also noted that a limited number of tampered jars have been confiscated during the investigation.
Authorities have advised the public to check for signs of tampering such as damaged lids, missing safety seals, or unusual odors. Parents are also urged to consult a doctor if their children show symptoms like bleeding or extreme weakness after consuming the affected products.
Spar has taken further precautions by removing the entire line of HiPP baby food from its shelves across multiple countries.
The warning comes in the wake of recent recalls by other baby food brands, including Nestle and Danone, over contamination issues which had impacted infant formula in numerous countries.
