Thermos recalls 8.2 million food containers over stopper explosion risk

Owners of Thermos Stainless King Food Jars and Sportsman Food & Beverage Bottles should stop using them immediately, check the model number on the bottom, and contact Thermos for a free remedy. The recall covers the 16-oz. Stainless King Food Jar, model SK3000, the 24-oz. Stainless King Food Jar, model SK3020, and the 40-oz. Sportsman Food & Beverage Bottle, model SK3010. Thermos and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said the stopper can forcefully eject when the container is opened after perishable food or beverages have been stored inside for an extended period, creating a serious eye-injury hazard.

Thermos recalled about 5.8 million Stainless King Food Jars and about 2.3 million Sportsman Food & Beverage Bottles, or roughly 8.2 million containers in all. The products were sold in a variety of colors for about $30 at Target, Walmart and other stores nationwide, and online at Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Target.com and Thermos.com. The sale window stretched from around March 2008 through July 2024, giving the affected products an unusually long retail run before the defect triggered a nationwide recall.

The problem centers on a stopper design with no pressure relief in the center. Thermos said it received 27 reports of stopper-related incidents in which consumers were struck when the stopper shot out upon opening. Some injuries required medical attention, and three consumers suffered permanent vision loss after being hit in the eye. That pattern helps explain why a routine kitchen and travel product was able to move through major retail channels for years before the hazard became impossible to ignore.

The recalled food jars were manufactured before July 2023, while all SK3010 bottles are included. Thermos said the recall is the only CPSC-approved remedy. For SK3000 and SK3020 jars, owners should discard the stopper and send Thermos a photo of the disposed stopper to receive a free replacement pressure relief stopper. For SK3010 bottles, owners should return the recalled bottle with a prepaid shipping label for a replacement bottle. Thermos said replacements may take seven to nine weeks after information is received and verified.

Consumers can reach Thermos at 662-563-6822 or through its support and recall pages. The recall number is 26-444.