If you own a Vitamix blender, check what kind of container it uses. Vitamix has issued a recall for blender containers produced between April 2017 and March 2018.
The company, working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, issued a voluntary recall of the blender containers on August 9 after receiving reports of injuries. According to the Vitamix recall statement, "The containers can separate from the blade's base exposing the blades, posing a laceration hazard to consumers."
The company said that 11 customers have reported being injured after their hands came in contact with exposed blades.
The Vitamix recall covers Vitamix Ascent and Venturist series 8-ounce blending bowls and 20-ounce blending cups with blade date codes March 2018 or earlier. The blade date code is laser-etched onto the top of the blade in the blade base with mm-yy numbers ("03-18"). The blending containers are clear with a black blade base; they were sold both separately and with Vitamix Venturist Model 1200 blenders.
About 105,000 of the containers were sold at Costco and Williams-Sonoma stores in the United States and online at www.vitamix.com from April 2017 through March 2018 for between $24 and $500 for the blender and blending container. Another 5,300 of the containers were sold in Canada.
If you have one of these blenders, stop using it. Check the blade first; Vitamix notes that if you find a green or orange dot on the bottom of the blade base, the problem has been fixed, but call the company if you have any questions.
Vitamix is sending repair kits to customers they know bought the container and who contact information they have. The repair kit has everything you need to replace the orange gasket with a new gasket and make the affected product safe to use.
You can contact Vitamix directly by calling toll-free at 888-847-8842 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday. You can also check online at http://www.vitamix.com to see if you are already on the list to receive a free repair kit, or request one if you're not on the list.
The Vitamix blending containers made after April 2018 all have a new design that the company says fixes the problem with the blades.