Baby food manufacturer HiPP announced that it has been targeted in an extortion attempt after a jar of baby food contaminated with rat poison was discovered in Austria.
“HiPP is a victim of extortion,” the family-owned company said in a statement.
A 190-gram jar of carrot and potato puree from HiPP, contaminated with rat poison, was seized over the weekend in the Austrian region of Burgenland. Authorities believe that at least two such jars were released into circulation in the region, with one still urgently being searched for.
Police in the Bavarian city of Ingolstadt reported that five tampered jars of baby food have been found in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, according to Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA).
HiPP stated that the extortionist sent a message to a shared group email inbox, which, according to standard procedures, is only checked at longer intervals. The company said it immediately informed the police and authorities upon learning of the incident and established an internal crisis team. Neither the police nor the company disclosed what the alleged extortionist is demanding.
Austrian prosecutors said they are investigating the case on suspicion of deliberately endangering the public. A preliminary toxicology report confirmed the presence of rat poison in a jar found in Austria, while further tests will determine the dosage and potential danger if consumed.
HiPP emphasized that the incident is in no way related to product quality or production, describing it as “external criminal interference.”
HiPP spokesperson Clemens Preysing confirmed to DPA that contaminated jars were also found in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Retail partners in those countries have withdrawn all HiPP jars from sale as a precautionary measure, he added.
HiPP, a family-owned company, was founded more than 120 years ago in Bavaria, Germany. Today, its headquarters are located in Sarnen, in the Swiss region of Obwalden.
