Another Shock over Suspect's Identity... 'Rat Poison Baby Food' Threat Leaves Parents Terrified

Slovakian Man Arrested; Former Employee of the Company
Suspect Denies Charges: "No Grudge, Has an Alibi"

A prime suspect in the case of threatening a baby food manufacturer by contaminating products with rat poison in supermarkets across several Central European countries has been identified as a former employee of the company.

According to Yonhap News Agency on May 5, citing Austrian media, police arrested a 39-year-old Slovakian man in the state of Salzburg on May 2 and are currently questioning him. The man was confirmed to have worked at the Gmunden branch of HiPP Austria, a German organic baby food company, before resigning in February this year.

Investigators discovered and confiscated substances containing rat poison at the suspect's home and are pursuing charges of attempted grievous bodily harm. Some local media outlets have reported that the suspect may have committed the crime out of resentment over his dismissal.

However, the suspect denies all allegations. His lawyer claimed, "The suspect left the company by mutual agreement and holds no grudge." The lawyer also argued, "He has never been to the supermarkets in question, and his movements can be verified by his smartwatch location history," providing an alibi. The lawyer further asserted that the rat poison found at the suspect's residence is unrelated to the case.

Yonhap News Agency

This incident began last month when a toxic substance was detected in a 190g jar of HiPP's "Carrot and Potato" baby food distributed in Austria. The same product was later found in stores in Brno, Czech Republic, and Dunajská Streda, Slovakia, bringing the total identified jars to five out of six. Authorities are still tracking the remaining jar.

The product in question is organic baby food intended for infants aged six months and older. In Austria, 15 micrograms (mcg) of toxins were detected in the product, but the exact substance has not been disclosed. Typically, the rat poison ingredient bromadiolone interferes with blood clotting and can cause bleeding symptoms if ingested.

The investigation revealed that on March 27, the manufacturer received a threatening email demanding 2 million euros in cryptocurrency by April 2, with the warning that if the demand was not met, toxic baby food would be placed in supermarkets in Eisenstadt, Austria; Brno, Czech Republic; and Dunajská Streda, Slovakia.

However, the email was sent to a general overseas inquiry account, which led to a delay in confirmation. The company only became aware of the threat on April 16 and reported it to the police. As contaminated products were subsequently discovered as described in the threat, public concern escalated. HiPP explained, "The less information is made public, the less it interferes with the investigation," and said they minimized disclosure to maintain investigative security.

Authorities have issued a recall of the affected product as a result of the incident.

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