Time to add one more thing to the list of improbable but real ways you could get severely maimed: an exploding Thermos bottle. The makers of the official product have issued a product recall of over eight million bottles and jars, following the discovery of a defect that can cause them to “forcefully eject” into people’s faces and eyes.
Thermos LLC announced the recall last week, in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The products are missing a key mechanism in the stopper, meaning they can abruptly fling themselves at people when opened under certain circumstances. At least two dozen injuries linked to the recalled bottles and jars have been reported, including several who suffered permanent blindness as a result.
Serious injury
The recall concerns two models of the Thermos Stainless King food jar (numbers SK3000 and SK30020) and one model of the Sportsman food and beverage bottle (SK3010). Their model numbers can be viewed on the bottom of the containers, and all Thermos products have the trademark on their side.
These products should normally have a pressure relief in the middle of the stopper. Without this, pressure can build up in a bottle or jar containing perishable food for an “extended period of time,” according to the company. All that pressure, and the stopper itself, is then released with dangerous force upon opening.
So far, there have been 27 known cases of people struck by these Thermos products, including reports of serious impact injuries and lacerations that have required medical attention. Three consumers reportedly experienced permanent vision loss after being struck in the eye.
What to do if you have a recalled product
People who own any of the recalled products should immediately stop using them, the CPSC said in its recall notice. People with the Stainless King food jar can contact Thermos to receive a new functional stopper, while customers who bought a Sportsman bottle can receive a different model bottle (SK3030). People should dispose of the food jar stopper (though not without photo evidence to show the company for a new stopper), while Sportsman customers will be asked to send the recalled bottle to Thermos using a prepaid shipping label.
About 5.8 million food jars and 2.5 million bottles are being recalled, which were sold nationwide between 2008 and 2024. The products were sold at Target and Walmart stores, among other places, as well as online through Amazon and the official Thermos website.
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