Austrian authorities are investigating after rat poison was found in a brand of baby food.
The Burgenland County Criminal Police seized a tampered bottle containing 190 grams of HiPP brand carrot and potato baby food in the Eisenstadt-Umgebung area. The action was prompted by an ongoing investigation in Germany.
Affected bottles were marked with a white sticker and a red circle at the bottom. According to police, the product tested positive for rat poison. The bottle had already been capped and had a damaged cap that did not make a “pop” sound when opened again. There was also a peculiar smell.
Although a member of the public reported it, the product was not consumed. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, marked glasses were also confiscated by police.
This appears to be an intentional act rather than a problem with the manufacturer’s production process.
Spar Austria has stopped selling all HiPP baby food containers as a precautionary measure. Customers are asked not to consume or return HiPP bottles purchased from Spar, Eurospar, Interspar or Maximark.
According to information from the Brno District Prosecutor’s Office in the Czech Republic, police seized two bottles of HiPP baby food from a store in Brno, matching the description given in an email sent by an unidentified assailant.
Rodenticides contain a variety of ingredients that have various health effects. The most common ingredient is bromadiolone, a vitamin K antagonist. This inhibits the effectiveness of vitamin K, which is needed for blood clotting. As a result, clotting ability may be reduced. Possible consequences for humans include bleeding gums, nosebleeds, bruising, and blood in the stool. Symptoms may appear within 2 to 5 days after ingestion.
