Baby Food Extortion Scare: HiPP Faces Poison Threat

German baby food manufacturer HiPP has been targeted in an extortion plot involving jars of baby food intentionally poisoned with rat poison. Austrian, Czech, and Slovak authorities have retrieved five contaminated jars, but one jar, believed to still be in Austria, remains missing.

The tampered jars, a blend of potato and carrot, have been identified by a white sticker with a red circle on the bottom. The lids do not make the typical popping sound when twisted, indicating they have been opened.

An email sent to HiPP demanded €2 million by April 2 with threats to poison jars in three supermarkets. German police are investigating under the supervision of the Ingolstadt prosecutors' office. HiPP stresses this is a criminal act unrelated to product quality.