Germany-based baby food brand HiPP is recalling baby food jars after rat poison was detected in samples in Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. In Austria, the recall affects more than 1,000 SPAR supermarkets, including SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR, and Maximarkt stores.
Police in Burgenland reported that a sample from a 190-gram jar of carrots and potatoes intended for 5-month-olds tested positive for rat poison. The contamination was discovered after a customer reported that a jar appeared to have been tampered with, although no one consumed the food. Police noted that the tampered jars have a spoiled odor.
HiPP stated that the jars left their facility in perfect condition and the recall is not due to a product or quality defect, but rather a criminal act of tampering currently under investigation by authorities. As a precaution, HiPP is recalling all baby food jars sold at SPAR supermarkets in Austria, where customers can receive full refunds without a receipt. In Slovakia and the Czech Republic, vendors have removed all of the brand's baby jars from sale.