Rat poison has been found in jars of baby food, sparking a recall in more than 1,000 European supermarkets.

Austrian police said late last night that rat poison was found in a jar of HiPP baby food, prompting the product to be withdrawn from more than 1,000 SPAR supermarkets in the country.

The contaminant could be life-threatening if eaten, HiPP said. The company suspects jars were tampered with and that the poison was introduced into the baby formula via a 'criminal interference' in their SPAR Austria supply line.

A sample of the 190-gram jars of 'Carrots and Potatoes' in the town of Burgenland tested positive for the poison after a customer had reported a problem with the product. 

Affected jars have a sticker with a red circle on the bottom and a lid that had already been opened, damaged or missing a safety seal or had an unusual smell, police said. 

HiPP said that it could not be ruled out that the dangerous substance was introduced into the product and their Vegetable Carrot with Potato jars may have been tampered with.

Initial lab tests on similar jars seized by cops in the Czech Republic and Slovakia showed the presence of a toxic substance, the police statement said.

HiPP said on Saturday: 'According to our current knowledge, this critical situation involves an external criminal interference that affects the SPAR Austria distribution channel.'

A SPAR spokesperson said on Saturday that the recall was a precautionary measure and affected 1,500 stores in Austria but impacted no other outlets.

SPAR and HiPP advised customers not to consume the contents of ​the jars bought from SPAR Austria. They ​said ⁠customers would receive a full refund on returned products.

Police advised customers to wash their hands thoroughly if they came into contact with a jar.