Police in eastern Austria have detained a suspect following the discovery of rat poison in jars of HiPP baby food on supermarket shelves across Central Europe. The Burgenland State Criminal Police Office said Saturday that a 39-year-old individual was apprehended, concluding a probe triggered when a customer reported a suspicious jar on April 18. Authorities confirmed five tampered jars were recovered before any infants consumed the product.
German infant food manufacturer HiPP immediately recalled its products from SPAR supermarket chains in Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. HiPP said in a statement Saturday it was “greatly relieved” by the arrest and would provide further updates as verified details came in. The manufacturer said the recall was not due to a product defect and stated the jars left its facility in “perfect condition.”
The investigation focuses on 190-gram jars of carrot and potato puree intended for 5-month-olds. HiPP said it has been a “victim of extortion,” adding that an unspecified blackmailer sent a message to a shared company mailbox that prompted the manufacturer to inform police. The tampered products were distributed to SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR, and Maximarkt locations.
The Burgenland public prosecutor’s office said it is investigating suspected “intentional endangerment of the public.” The suspect was arrested in Salzburg state, located west of Eisenstadt where the initial tampered jar was found. Police said the suspect was being questioned and no further details would be immediately provided.
The Austrian Press Agency said an expert evaluation on the toxicity of the poison remains pending. Prior to the arrest, Austrian authorities said a customer tip regarding the tampered jar allowed authorities to intercept the contaminated items before anyone could consume the food.