Baby food from Austrade tested positive for rat poison; 1,500 supermarkets have recalled the product.

A well-known German baby food brand, HiPP, has been accused of having its baby complementary food contaminated deliberately in Austria.

Reuters reported that on Saturday (April 18th), the Austrian police confirmed that rat poison components were detected in a bottle of returned baby food. The supermarket chain SPAR has recalled the related products from about 1,500 stores in Austria.

The products affected by this incident are the "Carrots and Potatoes" 190-gram canned baby food line from Habb. The police in Burgenland, Austria, stated in a statement that after receiving a complaint from a customer, the laboratory conducted tests on the samples submitted and the results showed a positive reaction to rat poison.

Hibar stated on Saturday that, based on the current information available, this is an "external criminal interference" incident affecting the SPAR distribution channel in Austria. It cannot be ruled out that dangerous substances were mixed into the products, and consuming the contents of the cans could potentially endanger life.

The police have reminded the public that the affected bottles have distinct features: the bottom of the bottles is covered with a red circular sticker; the bottle caps have been opened, damaged or lack a safety sealing ring; and the contents give off an unpleasant smell.

The police also disclosed that, based on the investigation conducted in Germany, the authorities have issued a warning to Austria regarding this risk. Preliminary test results also showed that toxic substances were found in similar canned products seized by the police in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The police suggest that anyone who has come into contact with the related canned products should thoroughly wash their hands.

A spokesperson for SPAR supermarket said that this recall is a precautionary measure and affects 1,500 stores in Austria. Stores in other regions are not affected.

Hibor and SPAR have advised customers not to consume this type of baby food purchased from SPAR in Austria, and have promised to provide full refunds to customers who return the product.