Consolidated Stores Corporation Recalls Manual French Fry Cutters

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 -- In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (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.