Over 440,000 Starbucks Mugs Have Been Recalled For A Risk Of Breaking
If you enjoy drinking your coffee from a reusable Starbucks mug, take note. The chain and its manufacturing partner have announced that more than 440,000 Starbucks-branded mugs are being recalled due to overheating problems that could cause them to crack and potentially break. The mugs were sold from November of 2023 to January of 2024 — a time of year that sees Starbucks constantly churning out holiday themed menu items and festive cups — at Target, Walmart, and Nexcom, a military retailer, as a component of holiday gift sets. These mugs were manufactured for the coffee chain by Nestlé USA, which was made aware of the problems after consumer complaints were filed, according to a statement made by the firm.
Affected gift sets include the Starbucks Holiday Gift Set with 2 Mugs, Starbucks Classic Hot Cocoa and Mug set, Starbucks Peppermint and Classic Hot Cocoas and Mug set, and the Starbucks Holiday Blend Coffee and Mug set. Anyone in possession of the mugs can return them to the retailer for a refund or credit, or contact Nestlé USA for a full refund. For the manufacturer's refund, customers must visit the company's site and leave an official complaint as well as the mug ID code located on the bottom of the mug. This can be provided in writing or by attaching a picture.
Burns and other injuries reported
Cracking and breaking could lead to burns from coffee or other hot liquids contained in the mugs. To date, there have been 12 reported incidents of Starbucks mugs breaking with 10 including details of injuries, such as blisters, severe burns, and cuts. The problem with the construction of the metallic coated ceramic mugs is exacerbated when they are filled with very hot liquids or used in the microwave. If you suspect you may have one of the affected mugs, you should stop using it and check to see if it is part of the recall and, therefore, eligible for a refund.
This isn't Starbucks' first recall in recent memory. In February of 2023, the coffee chain, as part of the North American Coffee Partnership with PepsiCo, voluntarily removed over 25,000 cases of its bottled vanilla Frappuccino beverage from store shelves, amounting to over 300,000 units. The bottles, which had expiration dates of March, May, and June of 2023, were possibly contaminated with glass. Also, in 2022, Starbucks recalled from stores over 2,000 cans of its Vanilla Espresso Triple Shots due to them potentially containing fragments of metal.