Warning Issued as Rat Poison Found in Baby Food Jar in Austria

Mon Apr 20 2026 20:32:25 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A jar of HiPP baby food in Austria has been discovered to contain rat poison, prompting police to issue a warning and facilitate a recall of affected products.

A disturbing incident in Austria has led to the discovery of rat poison in a jar of HiPP baby food. Authorities are calling for vigilance as they investigate the tampering, which they believe may involve an attempted extortion scheme. The affected product has been recalled from all Spar supermarket locations, with guidance provided to consumers on identifying tampered jars and checking for unusual signs.

Police in Austria have urged people to be vigilant after a sample of HiPP baby food was found to contain rat poison.

Police in the eastern region of Burgenland reported that the poisoned jar of carrot and potato purée was identified by a customer, who fortunately did not feed it to their baby.

The jar had been tampered with, according to police, who believe at least one more poisoned jar is still in circulation. Guidance on recognizing tampered jars has been issued.

While authorities have not confirmed the situation involves an attempted extortion, a police statement indicates that warnings originated from German investigators. Tampered jars have also been found in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

On Saturday, HiPP recalled its entire range of jarred purées sold in Spar supermarkets across Austria, warning that consuming the affected products may be potentially life-threatening.

The German-based company stated that the recall was not due to any product or quality defect on their part, claiming the jars left their factory in perfect condition and that the recall is related to a criminal act currently under investigation.

As part of ongoing criminal investigations, isolated cases of tampered HiPP baby food jars have been seized, HiPP noted, confirming the presence of rat poison in the jars.

Spar has removed the brand's baby food from their stores in other countries as a precautionary measure.

Austrian authorities have advised consumers to look out for damaged or open lids, missing safety seals, unusual odors, or a white sticker with a red circle at the bottom of the jar.

The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety has warned parents whose babies consumed the brand's food to consult a doctor if their children exhibit signs of bleeding, extreme weakness, or paleness.

Customers are advised not to consume HiPP jars purchased at Eurospar, Interspar, and Maximarkt and are encouraged to return them for a refund.

There are over 1,500 Spar shops throughout Austria. Police have emphasized that baby food sold in other shops remains unaffected by the recall, nor does it include HiPP's baby formula.

Retailers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia have also proactively removed all HiPP baby food jars from their shelves.

This incident follows a previous wave of recalls involving Nestle and Danone baby formulas this year, which were due to contamination fears that affected infants across 60 countries.