“The lid can forcefully eject, posing serious impact and laceration hazards, when a consumer attempts to open the capped bottles after food, carbonated beverages, or perishable beverages, such as juice or milk, are stored inside over time,” the CPSC said.
The agency said it has received three reports of individuals being hit in the face by bottle screwcap lids, with two of them suffering permanent vision loss after being struck in the eye.
Consumers are advised to “immediately stop” using the water bottle, which can be taken to any Walmart location for a refund, the notice said.
According to the notice, the product—the Ozark Trail 64 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottle—was manufactured in China and sold only at Walmart stores and through Walmart’s website since 2017 for approximately $15.
Only the Ozark Trail 64 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottle product was impacted in the recall. The company sells other water bottles with different styles and sizes through Walmart and other retailers, including Amazon.com.
The notice comes after a report released earlier this year by the Public Interest Research Group, a consumer advocacy group, found that recall-related injuries last year were at their highest levels in eight years.
It noted that 15 people died last year in those product-related incidents, adding that “10 other people died in cases linked to products where the companies wouldn’t agree to a recall.”
CPSC Chairman Peter Feldman said the surge in injuries and product warnings last year was due to Chinese products.
“When CPSC identifies illegal Chinese goods, the manufacturer is, more often than not, unreachable, unfindable, or uncooperative.”
