"Nearly Fed to My Baby"...Rat Poison Detected in Baby Food Causes Uproar

Rat Poison Found in German-Made Baby Food
"Appears to Be an Attempt to Blackmail Manufacturer"

HiPP 'Carrot and Potato' 190g Product
"White Sticker on the Bottom... No Popping Sound When Opened"

According to a report by Yonhap News, citing AFP and the Austrian daily Der Standard, police have launched an investigation after rat poison ingredients were detected in baby food sold at an Austrian supermarket.

Rat poison components were detected in Austrian baby food, prompting a police investigation. The brand is very famous as a premium baby food brand in Europe, and some products are also sold domestically. Getty Images

According to the report, police in the southeastern Austrian state of Burgenland announced on April 18 (local time) that they had detected a positive reaction for rat poison ingredients after analyzing a baby food sample submitted by a citizen in Eisenstadt. Police added that toxic substances were also detected in baby food seized in neighboring countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and there had been reports of a rotten smell as well.

The product in question is the 'Carrot and Potato' 190g baby food from HiPP, a premium organic baby food company based in Germany. The product comes in a glass jar, and a properly sealed product makes a clicking sound when opened. However, jars suspected of containing rat poison have a white sticker with a red circle on the bottom of the jar and do not make the clicking sound when opened. HiPP is a family-owned company founded in 1899, mainly producing formula, baby food, and infant food. The brand is very well known as a premium baby food brand in Europe, and some of its products are also sold domestically.

Hipp Baby Food 'Carrot and Potato' 190g. Hipp Website

HiPP announced a recall of the product the previous day and urged customers who purchased the item to return it.

Austrian police believe that someone deliberately put rat poison ingredients in some of the baby food jars to threaten the manufacturer. According to the Austrian Food Safety Authority, the main ingredient in the rat poison is bromadiolone. This substance inhibits the action of vitamin K, disrupting blood clotting and causing internal bleeding. If ingested by humans, there are usually no particular symptoms except for mild fatigue in the early stages, but after a few days, symptoms such as bleeding gums, nosebleeds, blood in urine or stool, and bruising may appear. In more severe cases, it can lead to gastrointestinal hemorrhage, cerebral hemorrhage, and may become life-threatening. Treatment includes administering high doses of vitamin K or receiving a blood transfusion.

Authorities emphasized that if a baby who consumed the problematic baby food shows severe weakness, bleeding, or a pale complexion, they must be seen by a doctor without delay.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.