Police in Austria are hunting a second jar of Hipp baby food potentially laced with rat poison after a contaminated product was found in a Spar store in Schützen am Gebirge, triggering a nationwide recall and raising fears of an extortion plot targeting the German manufacturer.
The first tampered jar, containing carrot and potato puree, was reported by a customer on Saturday and tested positive for rat poison, though no consumption occurred. Authorities say the jar bore a white sticker with a red circle on the base, had a damaged or missing safety seal and lacked the usual cracking sound when opened — signs also reported by witnesses who noted an unusual odor.
Hipp responded by recalling its entire baby food range from Spar stores across Austria on Friday evening, stating that while its own production remains unaffected, it cannot rule out that a dangerous substance was introduced into the “Gemüsegläschen Karotte mit Kartoffel 190 Gramm” via external manipulation. The company said the incident appears confined to specific distribution channels.
Police in Burgenland believe a second contaminated jar may still be in circulation, possibly also originating from the same Spar outlet in Eisenstadt. Police spokesperson Helmut Marban said investigators suspect only this one additional jar exists, based on tactical crime analysis, though they have not ruled out further tampering. No suspect has been identified so far.
The investigation is being coordinated by the police headquarters in Oberbayern Nord, Ingolstadt, in close contact with Hipp. Austrian authorities have also reported finding similarly marked jars in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, where preliminary lab tests detected toxic additives and witnesses reported foul odors.
In Germany, officials say no Hipp products or distribution routes are currently affected. The Burgenland state police have set up a hotline (+43-5913310-3333) for public tips and urged heightened vigilance, advising parents not to open or feed any suspicious jars to children.
The state prosecutor’s office in Eisenstadt has opened an investigation into alleged endangerment of the public, ordering a full toxicological examination of the seized jar. Prosecutor Petra Bauer emphasized that the immediate priority is hazard prevention, not yet assigning blame or confirming extortion motives, despite Hipp’s suspicion of criminal intent.
While searches are focused on Burgenland and Oberösterreich, no confirmation has yet reach from local authorities in the latter region regarding additional suspicious products, though federal police in Bavaria noted the initial investigative lead originated in Germany before being routed to Austrian officials.
How did authorities first become aware of the contaminated product?
A customer reported the suspicious jar to police after purchasing it from a Spar store in Schützen am Gebirge, leading to its seizure and subsequent testing that confirmed the presence of rat poison.
Is there evidence linking this incident to extortion?
Hipp has stated it believes it may be the victim of an extortion attempt, but police have neither confirmed nor denied this motive, saying they do not wish to interfere with ongoing investigations in Germany.