Police in Austria's eastern state of Burgenland announced on Saturday the arrest of a 39-year-old man suspected of tampering with HiPP baby food jars by adding rat poison as part of an extortion scheme. The suspect, whose identity has not been released, is currently being questioned by authorities, who declined to provide further details to avoid jeopardizing the ongoing investigation.

The case traces back to April 18, when a customer in Eisenstadt, Burgenland, purchased a 190-gram jar of HiPP carrot and potato puree intended for 5-month-olds from a SPAR supermarket. The customer noticed signs of tampering but did not feed the contents to their baby. Laboratory tests later confirmed the presence of 15 micrograms of rat poison in the jar.

In total, five manipulated jars were recovered safely before consumption in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, according to police. Authorities believe at least one additional jar may still be in circulation in Austria. No illnesses or injuries have been reported from the contaminated products.

HiPP, a German company based in Pfaffenhofen with its parent holding in Switzerland, immediately recalled all its baby food jars sold at SPAR supermarkets—including SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR, and Maximarkt—in Austria as a precaution. Retailers in Slovakia and the Czech Republic also removed HiPP baby food from shelves. The company emphasized that the issue stemmed from criminal tampering, not any production defect, and stated the jars left its facility in perfect condition.

The tampering appears linked to an extortion attempt. On March 27, an email demanding 2 million euros was sent to a HiPP group mailbox that is checked infrequently every two to three weeks. HiPP did not notice the message until after the six-day deadline expired, but promptly notified police upon discovery. The company expressed relief at the arrest and pledged further updates as details emerge.

Burgenland police, directed by prosecutors, are investigating suspected intentional endangerment of the public, with German authorities also involved due to HiPP's origins. An expert report on the poison's toxicity is pending. Reports on the arrest location varied between Burgenland and neighboring Salzburg state.

Authorities have urged consumers to inspect jars for tampering signs, including damaged or open lids, missing safety seals, unusual odors, or a white sticker with a red circle on the bottom. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety advised parents to seek medical attention if children exhibit symptoms like bleeding, extreme weakness, or paleness after consuming HiPP products.