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French Fry Cutters

CPSC Recall #93-048 — March 14, 1993

Recall Summary

Recall Number93-048
Recall DateMarch 14, 1993
Remedy TypeRefund
Units Affected37,656
Manufactured InTaiwan

Where It Was Sold

The French Fry Cutter sold in 450 Odd Lots/Big Lots stores and All For One stores in March and April of 1992. These stores were located east of the Mississippi River and in Missouri.

Product

French Fry Cutters

Description

PRODUCT: French Fry Cutters, item 11010403 sold in 450 Odd Lots/Big Lots stores and All for One stores. PROBLEM: Eight razor sharp cutting blades in the device are insecurely attached and present a laceration hazard. WHAT TO DO: Return the French Fry Cutter to any Odd Lots/Big Lots store or All For One store for a refund. WASHINGTON, DC -- CPSC, Consolidated Stores Corporation, of Columbus, OH is voluntarily recalling 37,656 manual French Fry Cutters. The cutting blades of the device are not securely attached and may present a laceration hazard. The French Fry Cutter consists of a plastic frame measuring four inches long and 2-3/4 inches wide. Eight razor sharp cutting blades are mounted in the frame. The person using the cutter places it on top of a raw potato and presses down on the sides of the cutter's plastic frame, causing the cutting blades to slice through the potato. The cutting blades are not securely attached on the bottom of the frame, and if the device is used upside down, the cutting blades will be driven out of the frame and into the user's hands as the cutter is pushed down onto the potato. The cutter is not marked to indicate which side is up. There have been five reported injuries associated with the French Fry Cutters. The injuries were hand lacerations. One injury reportedly required 11 stitches to close. The CPSC learned of the problem through a consumer complaint to its toll-free hotline. The French Fry Cutter sold in 450 Odd Lots/Big Lots stores and All For One stores in March and April of 1992. These stores were located east of the Mississippi River and in Missouri. The French Fry Cutters were sold attached to a blister card that was marked on the back of the card, "Dist. by: Midwestern Home Products, Inc., Wilmington, Delaware 19803 item No. 11010403 Made in Taiwan." There were no labels or markings on the cutters. The French Fry Cutters sold for $1.00. The French Fry Cutter may have been sold by a number of other retailers throughout the United States, however, they would not have borne the name "Midwestern Home Products". Consumers are urged to stop using the French Fry Cutters and return any bearing the name "Midwestern Home Products" to any Odd Lots/Big Lots store and any All For One store for a refund. Consumers may also call Consolidated Stores Corporation toll free at 1-800-877-1253, extension 6767. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is announcing this recall as a part of its mission to protect the public from unreasonable risk of injury and death associated with consumer products. The Commission's objective is to reduce the estimated 28.6 million injuries and 21,700 deaths associated each year with the 15,000 different types of consumer products under CPSC's jurisdiction.

Hazard

The cutting blades are not securely attached on the bottom of the frame, and if the device is used upside down, the cutting blades will be driven out of the frame and into the user's hands as the cutter is pushed down onto the potato. The cutter is not marked to indicate which side is up.

Incidents & Injuries

There have been five reported injuries associated with the French Fry Cutters. The injuries were hand lacerations. One injury reportedly required 11 stitches to close.

Remedy Instructions

Consumers are urged to stop using the French Fry Cutters and return any bearing the name "Midwestern Home Products" to any Odd Lots/Big Lots store and any All For One store for a refund.

What Should You Do?

Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Refund at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly — either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (Refund) at no cost to you.

Yes. If you were injured by a defective consumer product — whether recalled or not — you may have grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer and potentially the retailer. A recall notice can serve as evidence that the manufacturer was aware of the defect. Injuries that may support a claim include burns, lacerations, fractures, electric shock, choking incidents, and chemical exposure. Most product liability attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless you win. Consult an attorney promptly, as statutes of limitation vary by state.

In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.

If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney — parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.

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