Kayem Foods Inc. has voluntarily recalled 1,584,361 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products distributed nationwide and to Hong Kong. The action follows a cooling system malfunction at a company warehouse, prompting federal regulators to issue their highest-level risk classification over potential temperature abuse.
Warehouse Cooling Malfunction Triggers Nationwide Recall
The massive food safety recall spans more than 1.5 million pounds of ready-to-eat beef, pork, and poultry produced by Chelsea, Massachusetts-based Kayem Foods. Federal inspectors with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service placed the recall at Class I—the agency’s most severe classification—signalling that eating the goods carries a reasonable probability of serious, adverse health consequences or death.
Operations at the company faced scrutiny after a retail store complained about warm product temperatures at the point of delivery on October 1, 2026. Kayem investigators determined that a cooling system malfunction at one of its warehouses caused severe storage temperature deviations while holding the items.
Hot Dogs, Bacon, and Deli Meats Distributed Under Dozens of Brands
The recalled inventory includes hot dogs, sausages, bacon, ham, brisket, chicken sausage, and various deli cuts manufactured between March 31, 2026, and October 7, 2026. These goods were shipped to retail stores, deli counters, and foodservice operations across the United States as well as overseas to Hong Kong between June 7 and October 14, 2026. Kayem Foods is a fourth-generation, family-owned company established in 1909. The establishment investigated and determined that various ready-to-eat meat and poultry items were held in a facility experiencing storage deviations.
Affected merchandise can be identified by checking product labels for establishment numbers EST. M/P 7839,
EST. P 20935A
or EST. M 9520
printed inside the USDA mark of inspection. Specific items affected include Jordan’s Ball Game Treats (SKU# 9813, UPC: 003077109813), Essem Frankfurts, and Winnisimmet Slow Smoked Roasted Bacon (SKU# 9878, UPC: 003077109878). The extensive inventory also covers Kayem Beef & Pork Hot Dogs, Kayem Double Smoked Thick Cut Bacon, Kayem Slow Smoked Beef Brisket, Genoa Hot Ham, Al Fresco Roasted Pepper & Asiago Chicken Sausage, and Triple M Boneless Ham Steaks.
Corporate Apology and Regulatory Guidance for Consumers
As federal inspectors monitor inventories nationwide, Kayem leadership has accepted full accountability for the storage failure. The company announced it is directly contacting all wholesale and retail customers with instructions on identifying and disposing of the affected products.
Our business depends on providing consumers with safe food of the highest quality. Out of an abundance of caution, we are undertaking this voluntary recall. We take food safety very seriously and apologize to our valued consumers. Our management team takes full responsibility. We have learned from and corrected the issue and will not allow this to happen again.
Matt Monkiewicz, Kayem Foods President and CEO
While federal authorities confirm that no confirmed reports of illness have emerged linked to the temperature-abused meats, inspectors remain concerned that packages linger in home refrigerators and freezers. Food safety officials urge shoppers to inspect their food storage spaces immediately. Anyone possessing the affected items is advised not to consume them, but to discard the products or return them to the original place of purchase for a full refund. For additional inquiries regarding the recall, consumers can contact Kayem Foods Customer Service by phone at 800-426-6100 between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, or reach out via email at info@kayem.com.