Kayem Foods Inc. is recalling approximately 1,584,361 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that were stored in a warehouse cooler with temperature problems, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced on the evening of October 17. The agency classified the recall as Class I, its highest-risk category, although no illnesses have been confirmed.
The Chelsea, Massachusetts, company produced the affected products between approximately March 31 and October 7, 2026, according to the FSIS notice. They carry the establishment numbers “EST. M/P 7839,” “EST. P 20935A” or “EST. M 9520” inside the USDA mark of inspection and were shipped to retail and foodservice locations nationwide as well as to Hong Kong. FSIS has posted a PDF of the product labels for recall 026-2026 and a separate product list with UPC codes for the Chelsea location, and says retail distribution lists will be published on its website as they become available.
The problem surfaced on October 1, when a retail customer complained that products arrived warm at the point of delivery. The company investigated and determined that various ready-to-eat meat and poultry items had been held in a warehouse cooler that experienced temperature deviations, FSIS said. The complaint concerned product temperature on delivery rather than at a store, and the company’s investigation traced the issue to storage rather than to production, according to the notice. The bulletin does not say how far temperatures strayed or for how long.
The FSIS notice does not list brand names, but coverage by public broadcaster WGCU names Al Fresco, DeCosta, Essem, Genoa, Jordan’s, Kirschner, McKenzie Natural Artisan Deli, Meisterchef, Schonland’s Foods and Triple M among the affected labels, and says the products went to retail, wholesale club and foodservice outlets, including Publix stores in Florida. NewsNation reported that the items include Old Tyme beef and pork frankfurters in 12-ounce and 48-ounce packages and five-pound packages of Old Tyme Reds frankfurters. The recall is numbered 026-2026.
Why it matters
A Class I designation means FSIS judges there is a reasonable probability that eating the product could cause serious adverse health consequences or death, and the agency labeled the health risk in this case as high. Because products made over more than six months may still be in home refrigerators, the agency urges consumers not to eat them but to throw them away or return them to the place of purchase. Anyone concerned about illness is advised to contact a healthcare provider.
The recall spans more than six months of production, three establishment numbers and at least ten brands, and it came to light through a customer complaint about warm product rather than through the company’s own monitoring, according to the FSIS account. Distribution to wholesale clubs and foodservice operators means some of the product may have reached restaurants and institutional kitchens as well as home refrigerators, according to WGCU’s description of where it was shipped. FSIS says it will conduct recall effectiveness checks to verify that the company has notified its customers and that the products are no longer available for sale.
What to watch
FSIS says it will post retail distribution lists identifying stores that received the products as the information becomes available, which will let consumers check whether their usual retailers were affected. Consumers with questions can reach Kayem’s customer service line at 800-426-6100 or info@kayem.com, and the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854 or MPHotline@usda.gov. Food safety concerns can also be submitted through the agency’s Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System.
The caveats
No confirmed illnesses have been linked to the products as of the announcement, and the FSIS bulletin does not specify the extent of the temperature deviations or say whether any product was tested for pathogens. The FSIS bulletin itself names no brands or specific products; the brand and product details above come from news reports drawing on the agency’s posted product list, so consumers should check establishment numbers and the posted labels against items at home rather than relying on brand names alone. The agency’s notice gives no indication of how many of the recalled pounds remain in commerce.
This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a qualified clinician. Corrections: email the editor using the address on the Contact page.
