8.2 Million Water Bottles Recalled: Permanent Vision Loss Danger

Another day, another recall. This one's not for food...it's for food and liquid containers.

We see product recalls all the time, and they're usually the familiar kind involving food contamination risks like salmonella or E. coli. Those are serious enough on their own, but they tend to fit into a category people recognize: “Don’t eat this, throw it out, move on.”

This latest recall from Thermos feels different in a way that immediately grabs attention.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 8.2 million stainless steel food jars and beverage bottles are being recalled due to a defect that can cause the lid to suddenly detach or forcefully release under pressure. The concern includes impact trauma, cuts and lacerations, and in more severe cases, the potential for serious eye injuries that could result in permanent vision loss.

You'll See These Types Of Containers Everywhere, And That's The Problem

The products involved are part of Thermos’s “Stainless King” line, a popular collection of vacuum-insulated stainless steel food jars and drink bottles.

These are the kinds of durable, go-anywhere containers people use for hot soups on job sites, coffee during commutes, or lunches packed for school and work. The issue appears to involve the screw cap assembly, which can unexpectedly fail when the container is under certain pressure conditions, causing the contents, or the lid itself to eject forcefully.

What makes this recall stand out is the nature of the hazard. Most recalls are about ingestion or illness risk. This one moves into physical trauma territory, and specifically into something as serious and life-altering as vision damage. That elevates it from “check your pantry” urgency to “handle this immediately and carefully.”

Here's What You're Looking For, And What To Do If You Have One Or More Items

The recall covers two main product lines:

• Stainless King Food Jars (model numbers SK3000 and SK3020) in 16-ounce and 24-ounce sizes
• Sportsman Food & Beverage Bottles (model number SK3010) in a 40-ounce size

These are the classic insulated stainless steel containers people use every day. They were sold nationwide for years, roughly from 2008 through 2024, through major retailers like Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Thermos’s own website.

The issue, according to regulators, is that the affected containers lack a pressure-relief feature in the stopper design. If perishable food or drinks sit long enough inside, pressure can build up. When the container is opened, that pressure can release suddenly, turning the stopper into something that can eject like a projectile.

CPSC.gov:

Consumers should stop using the recalled Food Jars and Bottles immediately and contact Thermos to receive a free replacement pressure relief stopper or replacement Bottle, depending on the model. For recalled 3000 and 3020 Food Jars, consumers will be asked to throw away the stopper and send a photo of the disposed stopper to Thermos. For recalled 3010 Bottles, consumers will be asked to return their recalled Bottle to Thermos using a prepaid shipping label.