Police in Austria have urged people to be vigilant after a sample of HiPP baby food was found to contain rat poison.
The poisoned jar of carrot and potato purée was reported by a customer, whose baby fortunately had not consumed the food.
According to the police, the jar had been tampered with, and authorities believe at least one more poisoned jar is in circulation, prompting guidance on recognizing tampered jars.
While police have not confirmed that these cases involve an alleged extortion attempt, the warning originated from German investigators. Tampered jars had also been seized in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
On Saturday, HiPP recalled its entire range of jarred purées sold in Spar supermarkets in Austria, stating that consumption may be potentially life-threatening. The German-based company asserted that the recall was not due to any defect on their part, emphasizing that the jars had left their factory in perfect condition.
The recall is related to a criminal act that is being investigated by the authorities, HiPP stated on its website.
During ongoing criminal investigations, authorities have found cases of tampered HiPP baby food jars in Austria, as well as in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The responsible authorities determined upon examination of these jars that they contained rat poison, police said.
As a precaution, Spar has removed the brand's baby food from stores in other countries as well.
Austrian authorities have advised consumers to look for signs of tampering such as damaged or open lids, a missing safety seal, unusual odors, or a white sticker with a red circle on the bottom of the jar.
The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety warned parents whose babies had consumed the brand's food to consult a doctor if their children displayed symptoms of bleeding, extreme weakness, or paleness.
Consumers have been asked not to consume HiPP jars purchased at Eurospar, Interspar, and Maximarkt, and to return them for a refund.
There are over 1,500 Spar shops across Austria, but police have emphasized that baby food sold in other outlets remains unaffected by the recall, as is HiPP's baby formula.
Retailers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia have also preemptively removed all HiPP baby food jars from sale.
This troubling incident follows previous recalls this year from two other baby brands, Nestle and Danone, involving contamination fears that affected over 60 countries.
In January and February, those recalls were initiated after reports of illnesses in infants attributed to the toxin cereulide, which can cause nausea and vomiting and remains stable even when cooking or making baby milk.
According to the UK's Health and Security Agency, at least 36 infants in Britain experienced food poisoning from contaminated baby formula, although none were in life-threatening condition.
