Kayem Foods Recalls 1.58 Million Pounds of Hot Dogs and Deli Meats Over Storage Temperatures

A major hot dog and deli meat recall is sending shoppers to their refrigerators. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Oct. 17 that Kayem Foods Inc. of Chelsea, Mass., is recalling approximately 1,584,361 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products because they “may have experienced temperature abuse during storage.”

What is being recalled

According to FSIS, the products were made from approximately March 31 through Oct. 7, 2026, and were shipped to retail and foodservice locations nationwide and to Hong Kong. The recalled items carry establishment numbers “EST. M/P 7839,” “EST. P 20935A” or “EST. M 9520” inside the USDA mark of inspection. FSIS has posted the full list of products, UPC codes and label images on its website.

NBC Chicago reported that the recall covers hundreds of items, including packaged hot dogs, bacon, smoked brisket, flavored chicken sausages, meatballs and sliced deli meats, sold under brand names including Kayem, Al Fresco, McKenzie, Triple M, Deutschmacher and Jordan’s. A product list published with the recall includes items such as Kayem natural casing frankfurters, Fenway Franks and several varieties of Al Fresco fully cooked chicken sausage.

Kayem’s own Oct. 16 announcement describes the affected products as those stored and shipped between June 7 and Oct. 14, 2026, and says they can be identified by brand, item description, UPC and lot code. Consumers should check both the company’s list and the FSIS notice.

How the problem was found

FSIS said the issue came to light after a retail customer complained on Oct. 1 that products were warm when delivered. The company’s investigation found that various ready-to-eat items had been stored in a warehouse cooler that “experienced temperature deviations.” Kayem attributed the problem to a cooling system malfunction at one of its warehouses.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we are undertaking this voluntary recall,” Kayem President and CEO Matt Monkiewicz said in the company’s statement. He added that the management team “takes full responsibility” and said the company has corrected the issue. Kayem said it is contacting its wholesale and retail customers directly with instructions to identify and dispose of the products.

What consumers should do

There have been no confirmed reports of illness tied to the products, FSIS said, but the agency is concerned some may still be in consumers’ refrigerators. Shoppers who bought the recalled items should not eat them and should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase. Anyone worried about an illness should contact a health care provider.

Consumers with questions can call Kayem Foods Customer Service at 800-426-6100 (weekdays, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern) or email info@kayem.com. Food safety questions can also go to the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854). FSIS said it will post retail distribution lists on its recalls website when they become available.

For families heading into the holiday season, the practical advice is simple: check the label, check the establishment number, and when in doubt, throw it out.

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