Hipp, the German-Swiss maker of baby food, recalled its entire line of baby-food jars sold at Austria’s largest supermarket chain Spar and removed them from sale at some retailers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, due to the possible introduction of a hazardous substance.
The company took the precautionary measure after concluding that its 190g mix of carrots and potatoes may have been tampered with and could pose a “life-threatening” risk, if consumed, according to a statement from the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety GmbH.
A manipulated jar was secured by state criminal police and others were seized in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the Austrian Burgenland police said in a statement. A sample tested positive for rat poison on Saturday afternoon, they said.
The products can be identified by a white sticker with a red circle affixed to the bottom of the jar. The jars are also missing a safety seal, so they don’t make a pop when first opened. The contents also smell rotten, according to witness statements.
Based on information currently available, this appears to be “an external criminal act,” a spokesperson for Hipp said.
The company’s production, quality control, and inspection processes remain fully intact, the company said, adding that products and distribution channels in Germany or other European countries that are not part of the investigations are not affected.
Spar has removed the entire Hipp baby food range from its stores in Austria and other operating countries as a precaution, according to Hipp.