Police in Austria say a 39-year-old suspect has been arrested after baby food brand HiPP recalled some of its baby food jars after samples tested positive for rat poison in central Europe.
HiPP, a Germany-based organic baby food maker, recalled some product in Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic last month after authorities said the tampering occurred in 6.7-ounce (190-gram) jars of baby food made with carrots and potatoes for five-month-olds that were sold from SPAR supermarkets in Austria.
In a statement to Global News, a spokesperson for HiPP said “investigative authorities have announced that a man has been arrested.”
“We are greatly relieved by this development and thank the investigative authorities for their dedicated work,” the company added. “We will provide another update as soon as we have new, verified information. Please understand that we cannot comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”
The Burgenland State Criminal Police Office, under the direction of prosecutors, said a probe was launched after poison turned up in a baby food jar purchased at a supermarket in the city of Eisenstadt on April 18, according to The Associated Press.
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It said the suspect was being questioned, and that no further details would be immediately provided. The Burgenland public prosecutor’s office has announced an investigation into suspected “intentional endangerment of the public.”
Global News has reached out to the Burgenland State Criminal Police Office for further comment, but has not received a response.
The Austrian Press Agency reported that an expert report on the toxicity of the poison was pending. A total of five tampered baby food jars were seized before they could be consumed, APA reported.
The Eisenstadt Public Prosecutor’s Office has already filed a motion for pretrial detention, according to APA.
Burgenland police in Austria said the suspicious products likely have a white sticker with a red circle on the bottom of the jar. Other warning signs include a damaged or opened lid and an unusual or spoiled smell. There also might not be a popping noise when the jar is first opened.
“HiPP has become the victim of extortion. The news is unsettling for many – we understand,” the food company said in a statement before the arrest. “HiPP’s utmost concern is to protect children and families. We took immediate measures to safeguard consumers as soon as we learned of the extortion.”
HiPP said its internal crisis management team is co-ordinating “all steps in close and constant collaboration with police and relevant authorities.”
“This case results from criminal external manipulation beyond our sphere of influence in three supermarkets in Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia. We have no knowledge of any further manipulations,” the company added. “It is important to emphasize that this incident is in no way related to our manufacturing quality. HiPP’s production, quality, and control processes remain fully intact without any restrictions.”
HiPP said there has been “a known case in which single baby food jars were criminally tampered by third parties using rat poison” and that the company was “not aware of any further incidents of manipulation.”
“HiPP itself is not responsible for these actions. This case results from external criminal manipulation beyond our sphere of influence in the three markets,” the company added.
HiPP became aware of the situation after a “blackmailer sent a message to a non-personalized shared mailbox that is checked at long but regular intervals as part of our standard operation procedures.”
“As soon as HiPP became aware of the message, the company immediately informed the police authorities responsible,” the company added.
HiPP responded by recalling all of its baby food jars sold at SPA supermarkets — which include SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR and Maximarkt stores — in Austria as a precaution.
Vendors in Slovakia and the Czech Republic also removed all of the brand’s baby food jars from sale.
Rat poison typically includes bromadiolone, an anticoagulant that prevents the blood from clotting, according to the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety. Ingesting rat poison could lead to bleeding, like bleeding gums and nosebleeds, as well as bruising and blood in the stool.
Symptoms could appear two to five days after ingestion, the agency said.
— with files from The Associated Press
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