Consumer Product Safety

NITE Alert_60

June 27, 2003

Accidents with "Hottoku Nabe (pot)" sold before August 2000

With regards to accidents related to this product, NITE alerted users through NITE Alert No. 43 issued on September 25, 2001 and NITE Alert No.48 issued on December 26, 2001, outlining accident incidents and manufacturers' response to the accidents.  However, NITE has recently received accident information for the first time concerning a product manufactured before August 2000 (purchased by the consumer in October 1999), in which the inner pot incurred significant deformation during use, resulting in the lid blowing off and the contents flying out.

pot

  • * The product is an imported double structure pot (inner and outer pots welded together at the bottom and flanges) made of stainless steel.
    The pot has a structure that creates air space on the sides of the pot to enhance heat retention.

1.Product comparison

When comparing cross sections of the products sold after September 2000 with the pots sold before August 2000, although the shapes were different, there were no major differences in the fundamental structure of bonding the inner and outer pots at the bottom and the flanges.

When comparing cross sections of the products sold after September 2000 with the pots sold before August 2000, although the shapes were different, there were no major differences in the fundamental structure of bonding the inner and outer pots at the bottom and the flanges.

Back to top

2.Manufacturer's response

The manufacturers have been recalling or exchanging the products sold after September 2000. In addition, they are now applying the same measures implemented for products sold after 2000 to the relevant products sold before August 2000, including exchange of the main body of the pot with an improved pot with additional peripheral welding.

Product information
Sales period of object models Size(inside diameter) Name of manufacture
August 2000 or before September 2000
to October 2001
14, 18, 20, 22, 24 centimeters Ar-nest.Inc.

Back to top

3.User alert

Depending on conditions of use and environment*, the products sold before 2000 may pose the same hazards as products sold after September 2000, such as the bottom of the inner pot rising, or the inner pot becoming separated from the outer pot and springing up in the air, which can cause accidents resulting in physical injuries.
Users of the relevant “Hottoku Nabe" mentioned in the above chart should discontinue use and contact the manufacturer, even if there has been no problem with the product.

  • * A reproducibility test undertaken by NITE confirmed that accidents can occur when a number of conditions coincide; such as water entering the air layer of the pot when the pot is used for types of cooking, such as frying and stir frying that tend to increase the temperature of the pot. However, because there are individual differences between products, it is not possible to state categorically that it is safe to use the pot if such conditions are not met.

Fore more information;
National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE)
Product Safety Technology Center, Product Safety Investigation Division

Contact us

 Consumer Product Safety Public Relations Division  Product Safety Technology Center  National Institute of Technology and Evaluation
Phone number:+81-6-6612-2066
Fax number:+81-6-6612-1617
Address:1-22-16 Nankokita, Suminoe-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 5590034, Japan MAP