8.2 Million Thermos Containers Recalled After Causing Permanent Vision Loss
If you own a Thermos Stainless King food jar or a Sportsman beverage bottle, stop using it right now.
Thermos issued a recall on April 30 covering roughly 8.2 million containers after receiving 27 reports of people requiring medical attention following violent stopper ejections. Three of those people suffered permanent vision loss. Others sustained lacerations. The Consumer Product Safety Commission published the official notice the same day.
The problem happens when perishable food or beverages are stored in the container for an extended period — pressure builds up and when the lid is opened the stopper can shoot out with enough force to cause serious injury. It's the kind of thing that sounds like a freak accident until you see that it's happened 27 documented times with three people losing vision permanently.
Which Products Are Affected
The recall covers two product lines sold at Target, Walmart, and other major retailers, as well as online between March 2008 and July 2024. The model numbers are printed on the bottom of the container.
The affected models are the Stainless King Food Jars manufactured before July 2023 — model numbers SK3000 and SK3020 — and the Sportsman Food and Beverage Bottles in all units, model number SK3010. Size-wise that covers the 16-ounce, 24-ounce, and 40-ounce versions. These containers are sold for around $30 a piece.
If you've had one of these sitting in a cabinet for years, that's exactly the kind of product this recall is targeting — and also exactly the kind of thing people forget they own until something goes wrong.
What To Do
Thermos wants you to stop using the product immediately and contact them for a remedy — which differs depending on which model you have.
For the SK3000 and SK3020 food jars, you'll be asked to throw away the stopper and send Thermos a photo of the discarded stopper. They'll send you a free replacement pressure-relief stopper.
For the SK3010 bottles, Thermos will send you a prepaid shipping label to return the bottle and will provide a replacement.
You can start the process at thermos.com/pages/product-recalls or call 662-563-6822 Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Central time.
Three people can't undo what happened to their vision. Everyone else still has time to check their cabinet.
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