Translated with AI
Rat poison was found in a baby food jar in Austria. Contaminated jars were also found in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Tengrinews.kz reports, citing Deutsche Welle.
According to law enforcement agencies, the manufacturer had previously recalled the product due to suspicions of tampering with its ingredients.
The product in question is the German brand HiPP. The company announced a recall of jars of carrot and potato puree after suspicions of tampering arose. The contaminated product was sold in more than 1,000 SPAR supermarkets in Austria.
Similar cases were later recorded not only in Austria but also in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The investigation is being conducted with the participation of German law enforcement agencies.
According to police, one of the customers noticed a suspicious product—a 190-gram can. A test confirmed the presence of rat poison.
Authorities are not ruling out the possibility that the incident may be connected to a targeted crime, including extortion. Citizens have been urged not to consume these products.
Suspicious cans can reportedly be identified by a number of signs, including a white sticker with a red circle on the bottom, as well as a damaged or already opened lid.
HiPP stated that it could not rule out external interference. They believe the incident may be related to criminal interference in the supply chain through SPAR's Austrian subsidiary. They also emphasized that consumption of the products could pose a risk to life.
Buyers were promised a full refund upon return of the goods.
It is noted that the baby food market has already encountered similar cases. Similar problems previously affected manufacturers such as Nestlé, Danone, and Lactalis.
In particular, at the end of January, Danone recalled a batch of baby food in Germany after a toxic substance was discovered in the mixture.
