More than eight million Thermos food jars and bottles are being recalled in the United States after three people suffered “permanent vision loss” when a faulty stopper was ejected into their eyes.

Similar products are for sale in New Zealand.

The Thermos products being recalled lack a pressure relief valve, which can cause the centre stopper to eject and injure users.

The recall, announced on April 30 by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, covers the Thermos Stainless King Food Jars (models SK3000 and SK3020) and Thermos Sportsman Food and Beverage Bottles (SK3010).

“If perishable food or beverages are stored in the container for an extended period of time, the stopper can forcefully eject when opened, which can result in serious impact injury and laceration hazards to the consumer,” the commission said in its recall notice.

The Herald has found the Thermos Food Flask (SK3020) for sale at Mitre 10 online in New Zealand. However, most stores do not list the model numbers online, so it’s unclear if the full line-up of recalled items is available in New Zealand.

The commission has provided a photo (below) showing what a faulty stopper looks like.

The faulty products were manufactured before July 2023. It is unknown whether the Thermos products for sale in New Zealand were produced before or after this date.

The Herald has contacted Thermos Australia and Mitre 10 for confirmation.

The stopper of the recalled food jars and bottles has no pressure relief in the centre. Photo / Consumer Product Safety Commission

The recall was announced after Thermos received 27 reports of “consumers who were struck by a stopper that forcefully ejected from these containers upon opening, including complaints of impact and laceration injuries requiring medical attention”, the commission said.

Three consumers suffered “permanent vision loss after being struck in the eye”.

These products were sold at major retailers in the US, including Target, Walmart, Amazon, and Thermos.com, between March 2008 and July 2024.

In the US, around 5.8 million jars and 2.3 million bottles are affected. The products were manufactured in China and Malaysia.

The Thermos trademark appears on the side of the container, with model numbers printed on the bottom.

Anyone who owns one of the recalled products is urged to stop using it immediately and contact Thermos for a free replacement stopper or bottle, depending on the model.