Urgent product recall issued after rat poison found in baby food

Police in Austria have urged people to be vigilant over the potentially 'life-threatening' food (Image: Getty)

Police in Austria have urged people to be vigilant after a sample of HiPP baby food was found to contain rat poison. The authorities in the eastern region of Burgenland said the poisoned jar of carrot and potato purée had been reported by a customer, and that their baby had fortunately not consumed the food.

According to officials, the jar had apparently been tampered with, and authorities believe at least one more poisoned jar is in circulation. They have also issued guidance on how to recognise tampered jars. They have not confirmed whether the cases involve an alleged extortion attempt. However, the police statement said the warning had come from German investigators, and tampered jars had also been seized in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The recall is related to a criminal act that is being investigated by the authorities, HiPP said (Image: AP)

"The recall is related to a criminal act that is being investigated by the authorities," it said on its website. "As part of ongoing criminal investigations, isolated cases of tampered HiPP baby food jars have been seized - as previously reported in Austria, now also in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

"The responsible authorities determined upon examination of these jars that they contained rat poison."

Parents should consult a doctor if their child shows signs of bleeding, extreme weakness or paleness (Image: Getty)

Austrian authorities have told consumers to look out for damaged or open lids, a missing safety seal, an unusual or spoiled odour, or a white sticker with a red circle on the bottom of the glass jar.