April 18, 2026, 8:38 p.mApril 18, 2026, 8:43 p.m
It cannot be ruled out that a dangerous substance was introduced into the article “Vegetable jar carrot with potato” 190 grams through manipulation.Image: APA/APA
According to Austrian authorities, unknown people want to blackmail the manufacturer Hipp by threatening to use rat poison in baby food. Three supermarkets in Austria and the Czech Republic were affected, the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (Ages) reported on Saturday evening. The police in the state of Burgenland are investigating at full speed. A Hipp spokesman had previously spoken of an “external criminal intervention”. “Consuming such a glass can be life-threatening,” the company warned.
The company had already recalled its entire range from Spar supermarkets in Austria on Friday evening. The supermarket chain took all the jars off the shelves overnight. As Ages has now announced, “according to current knowledge,” the threat affected a Spar branch in Eisenstadt, as well as two Tesco branches in the Czech Republic. It was about the product “Carrot with potato 190 grams”. The manipulated jars are said to have been marked with a white sticker and a red circle.
No tampered glass found
According to the police, there was no manipulated product among the jars taken from the shelves in Austria. However, it is possible that tampered glasses were purchased before the eviction, said a police spokesman. Parents are therefore asked to bring unused jars back to the supermarket and to report to the police if they notice anything suspicious. This is also necessary in order to have evidence if necessary.
According to Ages, active ingredients in rat poisons can lead to a reduced ability of the blood to clot. Possible consequences include bleeding gums, nosebleeds, bruises or blood in the stool. If parents notice such symptoms in their children who have eaten Hipp food, they should definitely consult a doctor.
The origins of the family business founded in Pfaffenhofen in Bavaria go back more than 120 years. Hipp Holding AG is based in Sachseln in the Swiss canton of Obwalden. (sda/dpa)