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HiPP Links Baby Food Tampering to Extortion Plot

An extortion email prompted cross-border police probes into suspected tampering.

Overview

  • HiPP says it received an extortion email and alerted authorities, triggering investigations in Germany and abroad.
  • Police have identified five HiPP jars containing rat poison in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and they are searching for a possible sixth jar.
  • An Austrian customer’s report led police to confirm poison in a 190-gram carrot-and-potato jar.
  • Police advised parents to watch for signs of tampering such as no safety pop on opening, a white sticker with a red circle on the base, or an unusual smell.
  • Retailers including SPAR removed HiPP jars from sale and are offering full refunds, as laboratories continue testing and police coordinate across borders.