Report Summary
Consumer cleaned rice cooker and its inner lid gasket and underside plate allows steamed food particles to get trapped between the lid, the screwed in plate and underside gasket. This allows orange mold to accumulate. Manufacturer did nothing. Health hazard. No injuries.
Product Details
- Product Description: Aroma Rice Cooker ARC-914SBD 8 Cup
- Manufacturer/Importer/Private Labeler Name: Mirama Enterprises Inc. dba Aroma Housewares Company
- Brand Name: Aroma
- Model Name or Number: ARC-914SBD
- Serial Number: H6140671
- UPC Code: Unknown
- SKU#: Unknown
-
Date Manufactured:
1/2/2021
- Retailer:
- Retailer State:
-
Purchase Date:
- Product Category: Kitchen
- Product Type: Appliances
- Product Code: Slow Cookers (268)
Incident Details
- Incident Description: This is a health risk! The Aroma Rice Cooker ARC-914SBD inner lid gasket and underside plate allows steamed food particles to get trapped between the lid, the screwed in plate and underside gasket. (There are two plates, only one can be removed to clean.) I wanted to clean thoroughly and so I removed the screwed in plate/gasket and found orange substance caked on both the underside plate and gasket. (Mold?) Calling the company to inquire, they said I was not supposed to remove the screws to clean the underside! I asked about mold forming and replacing the gasket on the underside of the screwed in plate, of which consumers are not suppose to remove and clean. They said the gasket can’t be replaced and both are not to be removed! I asked again about mold forming against the underside plate and gasket, but they could not answer. It’s a remarkable product, but consumers are being exposed to mold every time they use it.
-
Incident Date:
1/10/2023
- Incident Location: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Victims Involved
-
- Injury Information: Incident, No Injury
- My Relationship to the Victim: Unspecified
- Sex:
- Victim's Age When Incident Occurred:
Comments from the Manufacturer/Private Labeler
- Mirama Enterprises Inc. dba Aroma Housewares Company: February 9, 2023
U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
Attn: Clearinghouse
4330 East West Highway
Bethesda, MD 20814-4408
RE: Report ID #20230112-8D511-2147351458
U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION:
The following is in response to Report ID #20230112-8D511-2147351458,
Aroma Rice/Multicooker Model ARC-914SBD, cETLus certificate #3085367, conforming to UL Standard 1026.
Aroma Housewares has been an industry leader in household small kitchen appliances for
45 years. Aroma receives, investigates, and responds to any and all claims with the utmost attention and diligence. Our manufacturing team maintains strict quality control and assurance procedures, subjecting all products to robust testing to meet and exceed the requirements established by UL.
It is common knowledge that disassembling and reassembling an appliance with tools (unless requested by the manufacturer) is considered a modification of the product. Doing so voids the product’s warranty–a measure intended to prevent customers from accidentally harming themselves. In this incident, the customer chose to disassemble the product and tampered with the protective Seal Ring that prevents liquid from entering the Lid Assembly. The Lid Assembly often contains delicate electronic temperature sensors and heating elements. Tampering with the Seal Ring places these components in great risk of damage. Please refer to the attached images showing the protective seal on this product’s lid. While this particular model does not have an NSF certification, we have similar models with the same construction that possess this certification.
In order to optimize the longevity and performance of our rice cookers, it is essential to thoroughly clean the unit after each use. Each product’s user manual contains detailed cleaning instructions in which we advise to gently wipe the unit with a wet towel or soft scouring pad, then wipe completely dry. Lastly, despite the customer’s claim, there are no “orange” substances used in the Lid Assembly, per our Bill of Materials. If customers have any further questions regarding rice cooker maintenance, we encourage them to call our Customer Service department at 1-800-276-6286 between the hours of 8:30am-4:30pm PST, Monday-Friday. They may also contact Customer Service by email: customerservice@aromaco.com.
The undersigned declares and verifies that the information in this response is true and accurate to the best of his knowledge. Further, the undersigned certifies that he intends, in good faith, to assist the Commission by providing any information requested to review the claim.
Respectfully Submitted,
[REDACTED]
Additional Details
-
Submitter has product?:
Yes
-
Product was damaged before incident?:
No
-
Product was modified before incident?:
- If yes to any, explanation: Take note that I don’t have the box, guessed on on manufactured date because it wouldn’t let be submit.
-
Have you contacted the manufacturer?:
Yes
-
If Not, Do you plan to?:
- Report Number: 20230112-8D511-2147351458
-
Report Date:
1/12/2023
-
Sent to Manufacturer/Importer/Private Labeler:
2/7/2023
-
Report First Publication Date:
2/22/2023
- Category of Submitter: Consumer
|
