A baby food jar recalled over suspected tampering was found to contain rat poison, Austria’s police announced, urging people not to consume the product.
Germany-based HiPP recalled the jars on Friday from more than 1,000 SPAR supermarkets in Austria after warning that a “hazardous substance” may have been introduced into its carrot with potato puree.
Police in Austria’s eastern Burgenland province said seized jars were being examined as part of an ongoing investigation in Germany. Authorities have confiscated affected products in Austria as well as in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
One customer-reported sample— a 190-gram jar of the carrot-and-potato puree—tested positive for rat poison after laboratory analysis on Saturday afternoon. Austria’s food protection agency said the contamination may be linked to an extortion scheme. Police warned that consumption could be dangerous and advised those who come into contact with the jars to wash their hands thoroughly.
Officials described suspicious jars as carrying a white sticker with a red circle on the bottom and potentially having lids that were already opened or otherwise damaged.
HiPP said external criminal interference affecting the SPAR Austria distribution channel could not be ruled out and cautioned that eating the suspect jars may be life-threatening. HiPP and SPAR said customers returning recalled jars would receive a full refund.
The incident follows several recent baby-food safety scares involving major producers, including Nestle, Danone and Lactalis.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah