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.
Available in multiple colors, the three container models span a range of capacities: 16 ounces for the SK3000, 24 ounces for the SK3020, and 40 ounces for the SK3010. Model numbers are printed on the bottom of each container. According to USA Today, the containers carried a price tag of around $30 and were on sale from roughly March 2008 until July 2024 through a wide range of channels, including Amazon $AMZN.com, Walmart $WMT.com, Target $TGT.com, Thermos.com, and brick-and-mortar locations such as Target and Walmart.
Anyone who owns one of the recalled models is urged to discontinue use right away and reach out to Thermos, which is offering free replacements. SK3000 and SK3020 Food Jar owners must dispose of the stopper and send Thermos photographic confirmation that it has been discarded. For the SK3010 Bottle, Thermos will mail out a prepaid label so customers can ship the entire unit back in exchange for a replacement. Thermos is based in Schaumburg, Illinois.
According to CBS News, the customer service line at 662-563-6822 is staffed weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT, and additional information is available at thermos.com.