Thermos is recalling about 8.2 million food jars and beverage bottles after reports that stoppers can forcefully eject when the containers are opened, causing impact and laceration injuries. Three people suffered permanent vision loss after being struck in the eye.
The recall, announced Thursday by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, covers about 5.8 million Thermos Stainless King Food Jars and about 2.3 million Thermos Sportsman Food & Beverage Bottles. Thermos has received 27 reports of consumers struck by ejecting stoppers, including injuries requiring medical attention, according to the CPSC.
Extended storage of perishable food or beverages inside the containers is at the root of the hazard. Because the stoppers lack a pressure-relief valve at their center, internal pressure has nowhere to escape, causing the stopper to violently propel outward the moment a user attempts to open the lid. The recalled Food Jars carry model numbers SK3000 and SK3020 and were manufactured before July 2023. All Sportsman Food & Beverage Bottles with model number SK3010 are included regardless of manufacture date.