HCMC – The Vietnam Food Administration (VFA) has urged health departments nationwide to urgently review and suspend the use of a HiPP baby food product after Austrian authorities issued a recall over suspected rat poison contamination.
The product in question is HiPP’s carrot and potato mix (190-gram jar). Consumers and distributors have been advised to temporarily stop using and selling the product pending further verification.
Following the alert, the VFA under the Ministry of Health has instructed relevant agencies to review product registration and self-declaration records, and to work with importers to identify affected batches circulating in the domestic market to safeguard consumer health.
The agency has also requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade to notify e-commerce platforms and online retailers to remove listings and halt sales of the product if it is found in Vietnam. Businesses that have registered the product are required to report import volumes, sales figures, and inventory levels to the authority before April 27.
Authorities are also calling for increased public awareness, urging parents to avoid feeding the product to children until official conclusions are issued by the manufacturer and testing agencies.
Rat poison was found inside a jar of HiPP baby food, according to Austrian police, late on Saturday (local time) after the product was recalled from 1,500 SPAR supermarkets in the country over safety fears.
