Top recalls for the week of 6/5 include Ford vehicles, juicers

Ford, Empower Brands, Sofina Foods, Kell Electronic, Wegmans recalls overview:

• Who: Ford, Empower Brands, Sofina Foods, Kell Electronic and Wegmans recalled products last week.
• Why: These top recalls involve product safety and possible risk of harm.
• Where: The recalls are effective in the United States; the Empower Brands recall is also effective in Canada.

Several popular companies, retailers and manufacturers announced top recalls last week for products that may pose injury to consumers. 

Ford recalls 125,000 SUVs, trucks due to fire risk

On May 26, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) website published a recall that applies to 125,000 Ford Escape, Maverick and Lincoln Corsair SUVs from the 2020-2023 model years with 2.5L hybrid or plug-in hybrid engines.

According to the recall, in the event of an engine failure, engine oil and fuel vapor may release into the engine compartment and accumulate near ignition sources, such as hot engine or exhaust components, possibly resulting in an engine compartment fire. 

In July 2022, Ford initially recalled 100,000 Escape, Corsair and Maverick vehicles in the United States after identifying 23 reports globally of fire or smoke after a suspected block or oil pan breach. Ford says it had reports of at least three vehicles that suffered fires after the 2022 recall fix so is now extending the recall. 

The remedy is still in development, Ford says. It expects to mail letters notifying owners of the safety risk June 12.

Juicers recalled because of laceration, ingestion hazards

Empower Brands recalled 469,000 of its PowerXL Self-Cleaning Juicers after the company found the juicers can rupture during use, posing a laceration and ingestion hazard to consumers. 

The model numbers and UPC codes of the juicers are printed on the bottom of the Model SHL96 juicer and on the back of the SHL90-SC juicer. Empower sold Model SHL90-SC at Walmart and other stores nationwide and online at www.walmart.com and Model SHL96 at BJ’s Wholesale Club, CVS, Kohl’s, Marshall’s, Target, T.J. Maxx, Walmart and other stores nationwide and online at www.amazon.com from Sept. 2020 through Aug. 2022 for between $65 and $100.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled PowerXL Self-Cleaning Juicers and contact Empower Brands to receive a full refund.

Sofina Foods recalls 15,165 pounds of mortadella deli meat

On May 19, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) website published a recall that applies to 15,165 pounds of ready-to-eat mortadella deli meat products. The deli meat may contain undeclared pistachio, a potential allergen. 

Canadian company Sofina Foods recalled the products due to misbranding, which resulted in the undeclared allergen. Sofina told FSIS a customer discovered the problem when they saw a pistachio nut in the ready-to-eat regular mortadella deli meat product during slicing. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions so far.

Consumers who have purchased these products and have an allergy to pistachios should not consume them and are encouraged to throw the products away or return them to the place of purchase. 

Kell Electronic mini fridge recalled due to overheating, burn hazards

Kell Electronic recalled 25,000 Personal Chiller Mini Fridge Gamer Beverage Refrigerators with LED lights after it found the refrigerators have power cords prone to overheating, posing a burn hazard. 

Kell Electronic received six reports of the power cord overheating so far but no injuries. Kell sold the mini fridges at Walmart stores nationwide and online at walmart.com, as well as secondhand stores and websites, from September 2022 through January 2023 for about $60.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled products and contact Kell Electronic to receive a full refund or replacement card. 

Wegmans announces recall for Cole & Mason pepper mills 

On May 18, The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published a recall that applies to 9,340 Cole & Mason 505WEG Pepper Mills, sold empty, with Item No. H50501PWE. The mills are clear acrylic and measure about 6 inches tall. 

The pepper mills contain a metal grinding mechanism that sheds metal “shards” for the first 10 grinds, posing a laceration hazard. Wegmans received three reports of incidents of metal shards coming off the pepper mill into consumers’ food so far. 

Wegmans Food Markets sold the Cole & Mason pepper mills nationwide from January 2021 through January 2023 for about $14. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled pepper mills and return them to Wegmans for a full refund, the recall states. 

Have you purchased any of the products listed in our top recalls recently? Let us know in the comments. And be sure to check out our other top recalls.

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