Aerosol cooking spray has been a standard ingredient in most American kitchens for decades. In fact, many people would have no idea how to keep items from sticking to their pots and pans if it weren’t for cooking sprays. Unfortunately, as useful as cooking spray can be for ensuring that a cake slides neatly out of a pan, they can also be quite dangerous to consumers in certain situations.
You probably already know that getting a can of pressurized, flammable liquid close to a heat source could be dangerous. However, that may not be the only risk factor for cooking sprays in your home. They could explode even when used safely and properly. Some consumers have wound up hurt by exploding cans of cooking spray, leading to recent, high-profile product liability lawsuits.
Pam cooking spray must defend its safety
Pam cooking spray, made by ConAgra brands, is the center of a new lawsuit with eight different plaintiffs. These individuals claim to have suffered injuries such as permanent disfigurement, blindness and painful third-degree burns as a result of using Pam cooking spray. These individuals claim that they used their cooking spray in their kitchen, only to have the can explode or erupt into flame while they used it.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs have noted that propellants used in cooking sprays, which can contain propane and butane, may contribute to the risk of a fire or explosion. Although ConAgra would not confirm the exact recipe used for its popular cooking spray, it did confirm that every ingredient is food grade and that the company believes the cooking spray is safe when used properly.
Only time will tell what evidence both the plaintiffs and ConAgra will present to the courts to build the case around this popular kitchen product. However, if consumers can prove that they did use the product as intended and some kind of additive or packaging defect led to their injuries, they could very well win their lawsuit.
Consumers shouldn’t have to worry about exploding spray
When you buy a product in the store and use it in the manner for which it was intended, you have the right to trust in the safety of that product. Sadly, not all companies maintain adequate production standards, which can result in defective units even if the product is overall safe. Still others simply don’t do enough initial product testing when making changes to existing items, such as a cooking spray’s can or formulation.
Manufacturers can make mistakes that have devastating consequences for the people who use their products. Consumers who get hurt by household products that do not function properly likely have grounds for a civil lawsuit.