The Germany-based HiPP had recalled the jars, suggesting they were tampered with. The contaminated jars were also found in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Police examined a sample of HiPP’s carrots and potato puree baby food and it tested positive for rat poison
A baby food jar recalled by its producer over suspected tampering was found to contain rat poison, Austria’s police have announced, warning citizens against its consumption.
The Germany-based HiPP brand had on Friday recalled the food jars at over 1,000 SPAR supermarkets in Austria, citing the possibility that a “hazardous substance” was introduced into its carrot with potato puree through tampering.
What do we know about the baby food in question?
Police have seized the baby food jars in Austria, as well as the Czech Republic and Slovakia, amid an ongoing investigation in Germany, police in Austria’s eastern Burgenland province said in a statement.
One sample reported by a customer involved a 190-gram jar of the carrots and potatoes baby food.
“A sample of the seized product was examined on Saturday afternoon and tested positive for rat poison,” they said of the 190-gram jar.
Austria’s agency for food protection said the poison may have been introduced as part of an extortion scheme.
Police warned customers against consuming the product. It described the suspicious jars as having:
A white sticker with a red circle on the bottom of the jar
A lid that has already been opened or is damaged
Police advised customers to thoroughly wash their hands if they come into contact with the products.
What did the German baby food brand HiPP say?
HiPP said the possibility that the dangerous substance was introduced into the product or that the product had been tampered with could not be ruled out.
“According to our current knowledge, this critical situation involves an external criminal interference that affects the SPAR Austria distribution channel,” the Germany-based company said on Saturday, warning that consumption of the jars in question could be life threatening.
HiPP and SPAR said customers would receive a full refund on the recalled products upon returning them.
Several similar food scares have lately hit the baby food market, impacting giants including Nestle, Danone and Lactalis.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah
DW News
