the Little Potato Company plastic containers

The reports, as CPSC published them

1. No one hurt

   Made Sep 13, 2018 · , sent to the company Nov 1, 2018 · , published by CPSC Nov 30, 2018

   The product, in the report: Garlic Parsley Potatoes plastic tray

   My 91 yo mother was given 2 boxes of Garlic Parsley potatoes by a family member. On August 6, 2018, she placed one tray of potatoes in her microwave per package directions, setting timer for 5 minutes. 17 seconds before the 5 minutes was up she smelled something burning and saw black smoke coming from the microwave. She opened the microwave and the tray caught on fire. She used a dishtowel to attempt to put out the fire and remove the tray from the microwave. The melted plastic and charred potatoes fell from the bottom of the tray onto her floor, causing two burn spots in her vinyl floor The black plastic also melted onto her turntable. I entered her home the next day and immediately smelled smoke. On examining the tray that contained the potatoes, I noticed an approx 4 inch circle melted in the bottom of the tray. The potatoes were charred and the burnt smell was horrific • it lingered in her kitchen for several days even after washing down the inside of the microwave and the upper and lower cabinets. Luckily her clothing did not catch on fire and she was not injured, just visibly shaken & upset. I took the second carton of Garlic Potatoes to my own home to determine if my Mom had done something wrong or if the problem might have been with her microwave. Following package directions to the letter, the tray was placed in the microwave, setting the timer for 5 minutes; after I minutes 30 seconds, the tray began to smoke. The smell was nauseating. A small hole had started to melt in the bottom of the tray and there was a scorch mark on the turntable. I emailed a complaint to the customer service address and received a response from [REDACTED]. After answering all her questions, sending pictures, bar code and “Enjoy by” date info which was December 19, 2017, I received her final answer: “As this product is past the Enjoy Date of December 19, 2017, it would have to be packed on October 28, 2017. Product is approx 10 months old, most probably as potatoes continue to lose moisture over time and become dry, and may have contributed to catching fire. Be assured our current product in the market is fully tested.” She offered to send coupons for free products. She overlooked the fact that the package gave an “Enjoy by” date but not a warning that the package would melt and burn if used past this date. Also, the “Enjoy by” date is barely visible, in yellow print on the side of the black tray, not on the cardboard carton. I understand that the product may lose some nutritional value if used beyond a certain date, but this is a safety hazard. I feel my mother is entitled to compensation to cover damage to her vinyl floor and a new microwave which may now be compromised by the fire. There may be other cartons of Little Potatoes that are past the “Enjoy by” date, exposing people like my mother to injury or property damage.

   Model

   Garlic Parsley Potatoes

   Where

   Boscobel, Wisconsin: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Age 91, Female

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Unspecified

   As this report names them

   Brand the Little Potato Company, made or sold by The Little Potato Company USA, Inc.

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Incident, No Injury

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources