Baby food maker HiPP has pulled products from store shelves after tests found traces of rat poison in some jars, raising alarm among parents and prompting a police investigation across parts of Europe.
Authorities said Sunday that samples from Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic tested positive for a toxic substance believed to be used in rodent poison.
The affected items are 190-gram jars of carrot and potato baby food intended for infants as young as five months old. The products were sold through SPAR stores in Austria.
According to AP News, the company quickly issued a recall and said the issue was not caused during production. "This recall is not due to any product or quality defect on our part.
The jars left our HiPP facility in perfect condition," the company said in a statement. "The recall is related to a criminal act currently under investigation by the authorities."
Police in Austria believe the jars may have been tampered with after leaving the factory. Officials from Burgenland Police said the suspicious jars may have a white sticker with a red circle on the bottom.
Other warning signs include damaged or opened lids, a strange smell, or a missing "pop" sound when opening the jar.
Rat poison found in HiPP baby food jar in Austria, police say https://t.co/zsP29MzIlj https://t.co/zsP29MzIlj
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Shoppers Urged to Check HiPP Products
So far, no injuries have been reported. Authorities said one customer noticed something unusual about a jar before it was consumed, which helped trigger the investigation.
As a safety step, HiPP has recalled all its baby food jars sold at SPAR stores in Austria, including EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR, and Maximarkt locations. Shoppers can return the products for a full refund, even without a receipt, US News reported.
Retailers in Slovakia and the Czech Republic have also removed the brand's baby food jars from sale.
Health experts warn that rat poison can be dangerous if swallowed. According to the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, such poison often contains bromadiolone, a chemical that stops blood from clotting properly.
This can lead to symptoms like bleeding gums, nosebleeds, bruising, or blood in the stool.
These symptoms may not appear right away. Officials said it could take two to five days after ingestion for signs to show, making early detection important.
No confirmed cases of illness have been reported, authorities are urging customers to check any HiPP products at home and avoid using jars that show signs of tampering.
Originally published on vcpost.com
