CEO: Hipp company portrayed as perpetrator in extortion case

The Austrian company Hipp, a well-known producer of baby food, has found itself at the center of a disturbing extortion case. As first reported by "Die Presse," the company received a threatening letter on March 27 demanding a hefty sum of two million Euros, with a deadline of April 2. However, due to an oversight in checking a general inbox for foreign inquiries, the email was not discovered until April 16, significantly delaying the company's response and the involvement of authorities.

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The extortion attempt has moved and occupied me incredibly. It takes a huge toll and affects us all very much. The employees have been working with very little sleep since Thursday.

This delay has understandably caused immense stress for the company and its employees. CEO Stefan Hipp conveyed the gravity of the situation, stating that the incident is "existential" for a medium-sized business like Hipp. The primary concern remains the safety of consumers, and the company is working tirelessly with law enforcement to locate a missing jar of poisoned "Vegetable puree carrot with potato" and apprehend the perpetrator.

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The most important thing is always the safety of consumers, therefore our top goal is to find the missing poisoned jar from the supermarket in Burgenland and to apprehend the perpetrator.

Hipp also voiced frustration over the public perception of the company. Despite being the victim of a crime, Hipp feels that the company has been "partially portrayed as a perpetrator" in the public discourse, particularly concerning its communication strategy. Hipp emphasized that transparency with security authorities has been maintained, and the cautious communication was intended to allow investigators to work unimpeded. The company's priority is to ensure no child is harmed and that the culprit is brought to justice swiftly.

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Although Hipp is 'the victim of a crime,' the company is 'partially portrayed as a perpetrator' externally, says Hipp, referring to the criticism of the communication strategy so far.