POLICE have arrested a suspect after rat poison was discovered in jars of baby food across Europe.
Authorities say a 39-year-old man is now in custody following a that led to recalls in 1,500 supermarkets.
A suspect has been arrested on suspicion of poisoning jars of baby food Credit: AFP
Rat poison was found in a jar sold in Eisenstadt in April Credit: Alamy
Baby food manufacturer HiPP pulled products from shelves in , and the , saying it was “greatly relieved” by the arrest.
An was launched after poison was found in a jar purchased in Eisenstadt on April 18.
HiPP warned that consuming the toxic contents could be potentially life-threatening.
Prosecutors confirmed the suspect is being questioned but have not released further details.
An investigation into suspected public endangerment is now ongoing, while an expert report on the poison’s toxicity is still pending.
Authorities say five tampered jars were intercepted before they could be consumed.
The affected products were carrot-and-potato baby food intended for infants as young as five months, sold at SPAR supermarkets in Austria.
said affected jars were marked with a white sticker and a red circle on the bottom.
HiPP stressed the recall was purely precautionary and not due to any manufacturing fault.
The products left its facilities in perfect condition, they added.
Store bosses customers would receive a full refund on returned products.
Police have advised customers to wash their hands thoroughly if they come into contact with any suspect jars.
Officers were first alerted when a customer reported a jar had been tampered with.
HiPP also said it has been a victim of extortion, adding that someone sent a message to a shared mailbox, prompting it to immediately inform police.
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.
The incident follows a string of recent food safety scares involving infant products.
In February, after consuming baby formula contaminated with a dangerous toxin.
Food giant Nestlé recalled more than 60 batches of formula suspected to contain cereulide.
This toxin is produced by some strains of the bacterium Bacillus cereus that can cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea.
The UK Health Security Agency said at least 36 children were affected.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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