Kayem Foods Inc. voluntarily recalled 1,584,361 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products distributed across the United States after detecting that a cooling system failed in one of its warehouses, exposing the products to improper temperatures.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) classified the recall as Class I, the highest risk category, indicating that there is a reasonable probability that consuming the affected items could lead to serious health consequences.
The problem came to light on October 1, when a retail customer complained about receiving products at an improper temperature.
The company's internal investigation determined that the cooling system of one of its warehouses had malfunctioned, causing temperature deviations in the stored products between June 7 and October 14.
The company announced the recall on October 16 and the FSIS made it public the following day. The affected items were produced between March 31 and October 7, 2026, and were distributed to retailers and food service establishments nationwide, as well as to Hong Kong.
To identify if a product is included in the recall, consumers should look for the USDA inspection seal with the establishment numbers EST. M/P 7839, EST. P 20935A, or EST. M 9520.
The complete list with brands, descriptions, UPC codes, and lot numbers is available on the official FSIS website.
The brands affected by the recall include Kayem, Al Fresco, McKenzie, Triple M, Deutschmacher, Jordan's, Genoa, Essem, and Winnisimmet St. Butchery.
Among the types of products are hot dogs, frankfurters, bacon, ham, turkey breast, bologna, liverwurst, corned beef, smoked brisket, kielbasa, bratwurst, chicken sausages, and meatballs.
Given that the recall involves nationwide distribution, households in Florida —including the Miami area— may have affected products in their refrigerators.
Publix is among the chains in the southern state that sell Kayem products, although the official notice has yet to publish the complete list of specific stores that received affected lots.
The FSIS warned that some products may still be found in consumers' refrigerators and recommended not consuming them under any circumstances: they should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase.
Until the official announcement, no cases of illness related to the consumption of these products had been confirmed.
The risk of the affected products lies in the fact that they are ready-to-eat foods that do not require additional cooking.
When they remain outside the safe temperature range, they can promote the growth of pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, which is especially dangerous for pregnant women, individuals over 65 years old, and those with compromised immune systems.
Matt Monkiewicz, president and CEO of Kayem Foods, took direct responsibility: "Our management team takes full responsibility. We have learned from the problem, we have corrected it, and we will not allow it to happen again."
Consumers with questions can contact Kayem Foods customer service at 800-426-6100 or write to info@kayem.com, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).
You can also call the USDA's toll-free line for questions about meat and poultry: 888-674-6854. The detailed list of retail distribution will be published at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls as soon as it is available.
Related videos:
Filed under: