VIENNA, Austria — May 2, 2026 Austria arrests suspect in HiPP baby food extortion case A 39-year-old man has been arrested in Austria for allegedly attempting to extort baby food manufacturer HiPP by contaminating jars with rat poison in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
Extortion Attempt and Arrest
Austrian authorities, with support from the Federal Criminal Police Office, apprehended the suspect following the discovery of five manipulated baby food jars containing rat poison. The contaminated products were found in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, but the German market remained unaffected.
One of the tainted jars, a 190-gram container of "Carrots with Potatoes," was found to contain 15 micrograms of rat poison. The suspect is currently under interrogation by police, though the exact motive behind the extortion attempt remains unclear.
HiPP, headquartered in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, Germany, confirmed it was the target of an extortion plot and acted swiftly to mitigate risks. The company established a crisis team immediately after learning of the threat and notified law enforcement and regulatory authorities.
Company Response and Product Safety
HiPP emphasized that its German product line was not compromised by the contamination. "The German company Hipp stated that its products in Germany were not affected by the contamination," according to verified reports. The company’s prompt action included recalling suspect batches and cooperating with international authorities to trace the tampered goods.