Thousands of vegetable slicers or mandolins sold at large stores such as Target, Kohl’s and Macy’s are being recalled because of their extremely sharp blades that could pose a serious laceration hazard. According to Today.com, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has recalled about 19,000 Sharper Image and Frigidaire Mandoline slicers sold at 12 different U.S. retailers in stores and online between May 2017 and April 2018 for $13 to $20. Blades used in these popular kitchen gadgets used to slice veggies may detach and injure the user.
Details of the Recall
Mandoline slicers essentially utilize two sharp blade attachments to uniformly slice and julienne vegetables. The CPSC states they have gotten four reports from consumers saying the small blade that is used for julienne slicing detached during use. So far, no injuries have been reported. The distributor of this product, Premier Kitchen Products, says the recall only affects the julienne blade attachments and that consumers may still safely use the larger slicer attachment and the rest of the device on other settings.
These slicers were sold at several other stores as well including Ross, Homesense, HomeGoods, TJ Maxx and Marshall’s. Consumers who have these gadgets at home can get a $15 Visa gift card if they provide photos of the receipt, the product and evidence that they have discarded the julienne attachment. Premier has advised consumers to stop using the julienne attachment right away and are urging consumers to call or email to get their gift card.
Duty of Product Manufacturers
While kitchen appliances and gadgets may not be inherently dangerous, they do pose the potential for injuries. While there are times when consumers may not use a specific product correctly, often times, we see these injuries occur due to defective products, poorly designed appliances or because the company does not warn consumers about the product’s dangers.
Product manufacturers have an obligation to make items that are safe for consumers. When there are dangers, they must warn consumers about those dangers. Dangerous products should also be recalled in a timely manner so they don’t cause further injury or pose hazards to consumers. Injured victims of defective products may be able to seek compensation for damages such as medical expenses, lost income, hospitalization costs, and pain and suffering. An experienced product defect lawyer will be able to advise injured victims regarding their legal rights and options in such cases.
Source: https://www.today.com/food/thousands-veggie-slicers-target-kohl-s-recalled-t128306
