Customer Found Rat Poison in Baby Food: Austrian Police

A jar of baby food in Austria turned up with an unexpected ingredient: rat poison. Police in Burgenland say a customer reported the suspicious HiPP carrot-and-potato purée before their child ate any, and investigators now suspect at least one more tainted jar is still out there, the BBC reports. Authorities say the jar had been altered after it left the factory, and similar tampered products have been seized in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, in a case that may be linked to a broader criminal investigation out of Germany.

HiPP has recalled all jarred purées sold at Spar-owned supermarkets in Austria, calling the risk "potentially life-threatening" but stressing the issue is not due to a production fault. Spar has pulled HiPP jars from its stores elsewhere, while retailers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia have done the same. Consumers can receive refunds without a receipt, per CBS News. Austrian officials are urging parents to watch for broken or open lids, missing safety seals, off smells, or a white sticker with a red circle on the bottom of jars—and to seek medical help if children show symptoms such as bleeding, marked weakness, or unusual paleness. HiPP formula and jars sold outside Spar are not part of the recall.