German police hunt blackmailer suspected of poisoning supermarket baby food Shoppers in Germany have been warned to look out for packaging that has been tampered with after a man slipped […]

Shoppers in Germany have been warned to look out for packaging that has been tampered with after a man slipped deadly poison into food on supermarket shelves.

Police said they found baby food spiked with ethylene glycol, a colourless, odourless liquid found in antifreeze, which can be lethal if consumed.

An extortionist alerted authorities by email to what he had done and demanded a pay-off of millions of euros

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Supermarkets in southern Germany may still have poisoned products on the shelves and the blackmailer has threatened food across Europe if his demands aren’t met.

“We are taking the threat very seriously,” Uwe Stuermer, deputy chief of police in the southern lakeside city of Konstanz, told a news conference.

“There is no reason for panic or hysteria,” he added, while warning consumers to be vigilant to the packaging of the foods they buy.

Police are searching for a suspect who was recorded on a supermarket’s security cameras. He appeared to be a white male, around 50, wearing a beanie hat and glasses.

Authorities have searched through food for sale, but warned identifying contaminated items is challenging.

“The case is difficult because the blackmailer did not say which food will be targeted or what poison he will use,” a consumer protection official said.

Large supermarket chains such as Aldi and Lidl have been targeted by the poisoner, according to German news site The Local.

All baby food has now been removed the shelves.