Having that morning cup of Joe has become a sort of tradition for many Americans. Coffee makers have also become faster and more convenient making it easier to get that caffeine fix and out the door in the morning.
That convenience has recently turned dangerous. The Tassimo coffee company is recalling over one million dangerous products after multiple reports of burns. The recall includes machines in the United States and Canada that could potentially spray hot liquid, coffee grounds and tea leaves onto unsuspecting victims.
So far, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has said that more that 160 consumers have haven injured from using the Tassimo coffee makers. The problem has to do with the dangerous product design of the plastic discs that hold products for brewing inside the machine. The plastic discs can burst sending extremely hot products onto the consumer.
While Tassimo is recalling the coffee makers, Kraft foods is also recalling 4 million packages of the plastic discs used in the coffee makers. This recall involves products sold up until the recall was announced earlier this month.
According to Reuters, a 10-year-old girl in the United States and a 2-year-old girl in Canada have been hospitalized after sustaining second-degree burns on their face and neck. These victims will likely have extensive hospital bills, and may need further medical care to fully recover from their injuries.
It is important that companies that manufacture defective or dangerous products be held accountable when consumers are injured. It is equally important for consumers to understand their rights.
Source: Reuters, “Tassimo brewers and espresso pads recalled after burn injuries,” Barbara Goldberg, Feb. 9, 2012
