Police in Austria have arrested a 39-year-old man suspected of contaminating baby food products with rat poison, in what authorities believe may be an attempt to extort the manufacturing company.

The suspect was detained in the state of Burgenland, south of Vienna, according to the Austrian Press Agency, which did not disclose his identity.

He faces charges of endangering public safety and attempted serious bodily harm, as reported by Agence France-Presse.

The arrest comes about two weeks after Austrian authorities discovered traces of rat poison in baby food products sold in several major retail stores, raising significant concerns about consumer safety.