VIENNA – Arrest Made After Poison Found in Baby Food
Authorities in eastern Austria have apprehended a 39-year-old suspect after rat poison was discovered in several jars of HiPP baby food at a supermarket in central Europe.
HiPP, the company involved, recalled several baby food products in Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic following this alarming incident last month. They expressed feeling “extremely relieved” about the suspect’s arrest and mentioned they would share more details as they become available.
The Burgenland Criminal Police Department initiated an investigation, led by the public prosecutor’s office, after poison was identified in a jar of baby food bought at a supermarket in Eisenstadt on April 18.
While the suspect is being investigated, specific details remain limited. The prosecutor’s office in Burgenland indicated they would look into the case on grounds of “deliberately endangering the public.”
The suspect was located and arrested in the western state of Salzburg, as confirmed by the Burgenland Police Department in an email to The Associated Press on Sunday.
The Austrian News Agency reported that, as of now, there has been no expert assessment regarding the poison’s toxicity. Five tainted baby food jars were confiscated before consumption could occur.
Authorities noted that the tampering likely took place in a 190-gram (6.7-ounce) jar of carrot and potato baby food designed for five-month-olds sold at SPAR supermarkets in Austria.
In response, HiPP recalled all jars of baby food available in SPAR supermarkets throughout Austria, which includes SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR, and Maximarkt stores. Distributors in Slovakia and the Czech Republic also removed all jars from their offerings.
The company clarified that the recall was not due to any flaws in their products or quality and insisted that the bottles left their facility in “perfect condition.”
Reportedly, a customer noticed something was off with the jar when it was found, but fortunately, no one had consumed the baby food.
HiPP, headquartered in Pfaffenhofen, Germany, claimed to be a “victim of extortion,” mentioning that a “blackmailer” had sent a message to a shared mailbox urging them to contact the police immediately.
