Thermos is voluntarily recalling about 8.2 million jars and bottles after the company received reports of customers being struck by the products’ stoppers when the containers were opened, resulting in injuries and, in a few cases, vision loss, U.S. regulators said on Thursday.
The recall, announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, covers roughly 5.8 million Stainless King Food Jars and about 2.3 million Sportsman Food & Beverage Bottles.
The stoppers in the recalled products do not have pressure-relief valves, the commission said. As a result, food and liquids left in the containers for long periods of time can cause pressure to build up and the stopper to “forcefully eject” when opened, the agency said, risking injury.
Thermos received 27 reports of customers being struck by stoppers, leading to injuries and lacerations that required medical attention, the commission said. Three consumers suffered permanent vision loss after being hit in the eye, it said.
In a statement, Thermos said on Friday that it was “committed to resolving this issue as safely and promptly as possible, as reflected in our voluntary recall conducted in full cooperation with the C.P.S.C.”
The recall affects models SK3000 and SK3020 of the Stainless King Food Jar, manufactured before July 2023, and all SK3010 models of the Sportsman Food & Beverage Bottle, regulators said. The model numbers can be found on the bottoms of the containers. The affected products were sold online and at brick-and-mortar stores across the United States for about $30 between March 2008 and July 2024, the commission said.
Customers with these containers should immediately stop using them and fill out a claim form at thermos.com to receive either a replacement product or a new stopper with a pressure-relief valve, depending on the item, Thermos said in an F.A.Q. page on its website.
It may take seven to nine weeks for replacement items to arrive, the company said. Refunds are not available and customers should not take their recalled products to stores.
The recalled products were manufactured in China and Malaysia and imported by Thermos, which is based in Schaumburg, Ill.
Last July, Walmart recalled roughly 850,000 stainless steel water bottles after similar problems emerged. The company received three reports of customers being injured after the lids of their bottles “forcefully ejected” and struck them in the face, regulators said. Two of them suffered permanent vision loss.
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