Walmart recalls 850,000 water bottles after 2 people suffer 'permanent vision loss'

Who would have thought something as harmless as water bottles could cause permanent vision loss? Yes, you read it right. Water bottles turned out to be the culprit behind permanent vision loss.

A variety of carbonated or fermented food items such as kombucha, wine, sourdough and kimchi can cause the lids of insulated bottles to erupt off. Thus, to protect the consumers, especially children Walmart has taken a precautionary route and removed a water bottle brand from its shelves due to the newly discovered hazard it poses.





On July 10, Thursday, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published a press release announcing a recall for the Ozark Trail 64 oz stainless steel insulated water bottle sold for $15.



As per the notice, the lid of the bottle could lead to serious injuries including "laceration hazard" if a consumer attempted to open the bottle after storing food, carbonated or perishable beverages for an extended period of time.

This comes after Walmart received three reports of customers being injured by being struck in the face by the lid ejected from the bottles upon opening and two suffering permanent vision loss.

“The health and safety of our customers is always a top priority,” Walmart said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. "Walmart has fully cooperated with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the manufacturer of the impacted product to remove it from our stores and notify consumers of the recall," stated Molly Blakeman, Group Director, Enterprise Communications at Walmart.

Which water bottles have been recalled?

The model number of the roughly 850,000 defective products is 83-662. However, since the number is not present on the bottles themselves, customers who own them can confirm if they have the recalled bottles by looking at the embedded Ozark Trail logo on the bottle.

Purchasers are requested to stop using the bottle and to contact Walmart or return it to the nearest location for a full refund. Also, ensure safety while opening bottles storing fermented food that can cause harm not only to the body but also to the immune system due to their acidification.