Millions of food containers have been urgently recalled due to exploding lids that could cause ‘permanent vision loss.’
Illinois-based Thermos LLC has voluntarily recalled 8.2 million Thermos Stainless King 3000 and 3020 Food Jars and Thermos Sportsman 3010 Food & Beverage Bottles after receiving reports that consumers had been struck by a stopper that ejects out of the bottle after opening.
This is because the stopper of the recalled products does not have a pressure relief in the center to keep it from ejecting, which can occur when food scraps are stored for an extended period of time. This leads to a build up of gasses and pressure.
‘If perishable food or beverages are stored in the container for an extended period of time, the stopper can forcefully eject when opened, which can result in serious impact injury and laceration hazards to the consumer,’ the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wrote in its recall notice.
Thermos received 27 reports of consumers being injured due to the exploding lids, including complaints of impact and laceration injuries that required medical attention. Three customers suffered permanent vision loss after being hit in the eye.
The recall includes 5.8 million Stainless King Food Jars and 2.3 million Sportsman Food & Beverage Bottles.
They were sold in store and online at Target and Walmart, as well as Amazon and Thermos.com between March 2008 and July 2024 for about $30.
Recalled Thermos Stainless King Food Jars include model numbers SK3000 and SK3020 and were manufactured before July 2023.
Popular food containers have been recalled due to exploding lids that may lead to permanent vision loss (stock image)
The recall includes all Thermos Sportsman Food & Beverage Bottles with model number SK3010.
The containers were sold in a variety of colors in the following sizes: 16-oz, model number SK3000; 24-oz, model number SK3020; and 40-oz, model number SK3010.
The Thermos trademark is located on the side of recalled products, and model numbers are printed on the bottom.
CPSC said consumers ‘should stop using the recalled Food Jars and Bottles immediately and contact Thermos to receive a free replacement pressure relief stopper or replacement Bottle, depending on the model.’
‘For recalled 3000 and 3020 Food Jars, consumers will be asked to throw away the stopper and send a photo of the disposed stopper to Thermos,’ the agency added.
‘For recalled 3010 Bottles, consumers will be asked to return their recalled Bottle to Thermos using a prepaid shipping label.’
Direct impact to the eye can lead to a host of devastating and potentially permanent injuries such as bruising, scratches to the cornea and orbital fractures.
Pictured above are front images of the recalled products
Pictured above are the lids of recalled and not recalled products. The left image shows the lack of a pressure relief, which can cause ejecting, while the right image shows the relief
Another concern is retinal detachment, which occurs when the light-sensitive retina pulls away from the back of the eye.
Suffered by 28,000 Americans every year, retinal detachment requires immediate surgical or laser treatment to repair the damage. Without that treatment, permanent vision loss can occur.
An injury to the eye also increases pressure, potentially leading to traumatic glaucoma.
Existing glaucoma damage is irreversible, but the disease can be slowed with prescription eye drops, laser therapy and surgery.
Thermos apologized for the recall and directed customers to stop using the recalled product and contact the company for a replacement.
Consumers can contact Thermos via the brand’s website by clicking ‘Contact Us’ or ‘Recall Info.’
They can also call 662-563-6822 from 7am to 3:30pm CT Monday through Friday.
