Kayem Foods Recalls Nearly 1.6 Million Pounds of Hot Dogs, Bacon, Ham and Chicken Sausage

A Large Meat Recall That May Reach Your Refrigerator

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that Kayem Foods Inc. of Chelsea, Massachusetts, is recalling approximately 1.6 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. The products were made from approximately March 31, 2026, to October 7. FSIS has placed the recall, numbered 026-2026, in Class I, which the agency lists as high risk.

The recall covers hot dogs, bacon, ham, deli meats, chicken sausage and more. The products were shipped to stores and foodservice locations nationwide, as well as to Hong Kong. FSIS says it is concerned that some of these products may already be sitting in people's refrigerators.

Why the Products Were Recalled

According to FSIS, the products may have experienced what the agency calls temperature abuse during storage, meaning they may not have been kept as cold as they should have been. The problem came to light after a retail customer complained on October 1 that products were warm when they were delivered. When Kayem looked into it, the company found that the meats had been stored in a warehouse cooler that had not stayed at the right temperature.

In its own announcement, Kayem said a cooling system malfunction at one of its warehouses caused the temperature problem. The company said the affected products were stored and shipped between June 7, 2026, and October 14. Kayem described the recall as voluntary, said it has corrected the problem and said it is contacting each of its wholesale and retail customers directly with instructions to identify and dispose of the recalled products.

Brands and Kinds of Meat in the Recall

The recall covers dozens of items sold under several brand names. Pictures of the package labels released by FSIS show products from these brands:

• Kayem, including its Fenway Franks
• Al Fresco
• McKenzie
• Triple M
• Deutschmacher
• Jordan's
• Essem
• Genoa
• Winnisimmet St. Butchery

Many of the items are hot dogs and franks, along with bacon, kielbasa and bratwurst. The deli meats include ham and turkey breast as well as bologna, corned beef and liverwurst. The Al Fresco items include chicken sausages, breakfast patties and chicken meatballs.

How to Check the Packages You Have at Home

Start by looking for the USDA mark of inspection on the package. Inside that mark you will find an establishment number, which tells you where the product was handled. The recalled products carry one of these three establishment numbers, written exactly as FSIS prints them:

• EST. M/P 7839
• EST. P 20935A
• EST. M 9520

On the label pictures, the McKenzie turkey breasts and an Al Fresco roast turkey breast carry P-20935A, and several McKenzie hams carry 9520.

If one of those numbers appears on your package, the next step is to compare it with the official list. FSIS has posted a complete list of recalled products that gives the UPC code, lot number, expiration date and manufacturing date for each item. Find the product name on the list, then match the UPC code from the bar code on your package, along with the lot number and dates printed on it. Many products appear on the list several times, once for each lot, so check every line that carries your product's name. Expiration dates vary widely, and some run into 2027.

If you would rather compare by sight, FSIS has also posted pictures of the recalled product labels. Kayem's recall page links to the company's own list of the recalled items as well.

What to Do If Your Package Matches

FSIS is clear about what people should do with these products: “Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.”

If you have questions about the recall, you can call Kayem Foods Customer Service at 800-426-6100 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. You can also email the company at [email protected].

For food safety questions, you can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or email [email protected]. If you need to report a problem with a meat, poultry or egg product, the USDA's online consumer complaint form is open 24 hours a day.

Reports of Illness So Far

FSIS says there have been no confirmed reports of illness due to eating these products. The agency advises that anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider.

Where the Products Were Sold

FSIS says that when lists of the stores that received the recalled products become available, it will post them on its recalls page.

Walmart has told customers that the affected products were sold in some of its stores in these states:

• Connecticut
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Vermont