HiPP Recalls Jarred Baby Food in Austria Over Contamination Fears

Baby food brand HiPP has initiated a full recall of its jarred baby food purées available at Spar supermarkets across Austria. The company cited concerns that the products may have been contaminated, stating in a statement that “a hazardous substance could have been introduced… due to external influence.” This risk was described as potentially “life-threatening” for infants consuming the jars.

Although only one flavor was suspected of being tampered with, HiPP opted to remove all its products from over 1,500 Spar stores as a precaution. The recall includes all jarred purées, with affected items identifiable by a white sticker featuring a red circle on their base. Police in Austria’s eastern Burgenland region are assisting in the investigation, according to HiPP.

“It cannot be ruled out that a harmful substance was introduced… through external manipulation,” the company added.

Spar confirmed the recall, allowing customers to return affected products for a full refund. Jars from Eurospar, Interspar, and Maximarkt stores are also included in the action. HiPP urged parents to avoid feeding children any jars purchased at Spar locations, emphasizing that baby food sold elsewhere remains unaffected.

The incident follows similar recalls by Nestle and Danone in January and February, when their infant formula brands were pulled from more than 60 countries, including the UK, after infants fell ill. Contaminated batches contained the toxin cereulide, which causes nausea and vomiting and is not destroyed by cooking or mixing into milk. The UK Health and Security Agency reported that 36 babies in Britain experienced food poisoning, though none faced life-threatening conditions. HiPP’s baby formula was not involved in those recalls.