Kayem recalls about 1.58 million pounds of hot dogs and meats
Kayem Foods is recalling about 1.58 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry after a cooler problem, according to the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The Boston Globe reported that the products include Fenway Franks. No illnesses have been confirmed.
Kayem Foods, based in Chelsea, Massachusetts, is recalling about 1,584,361 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products because they may have been stored at unsafe temperatures, according to the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The Boston Globe also reported the recall, saying it includes the company's well-known Fenway Franks.
The products were made from about March 31 to October 7, 2026, and were shipped to stores and food service locations nationwide and to Hong Kong, according to the USDA notice. The recalled items carry the establishment numbers "EST. M/P 7839," "EST. P 20935A" and "EST. M 9520" inside the USDA mark of inspection, the notice says. The company said the affected items were shipped between June 7 and October 14, the Boston Globe reported.
The recall covers hot dogs, sausages, bacon and other products, the Boston Globe reported, including chicken sausage, bologna, beef brisket, corned beef and liverwurst. Many of the items are hot dogs and hams that can be kept a long time in the freezer, the Boston Globe reported.
The problem came to light after a retail customer complained about warm product temperatures at delivery on October 1, according to the USDA. Kayem found it had stored the products in a warehouse cooler that had temperature deviations, the notice says. The company blamed "a cooling system malfunction," the Boston Globe reported.
There have been no confirmed reports of illness, according to the USDA. The agency urged anyone who bought the products not to eat them and to throw them away or return them to the store.
"We take food safety very seriously and apologize to our valued consumers. Our management team takes full responsibility," Kayem president and chief executive Matt Monkiewicz said, according to the Boston Globe. He said the company had corrected the issue, the Boston Globe reported.
Consumers can find the full product list and UPC codes on the USDA's recall page.
What we know: Kayem is recalling about 1.58 million pounds of meat and poultry after a cooler malfunction, with no illnesses confirmed.
What we don't: No second news outlet has independently confirmed these details so far, and the USDA has not yet posted store distribution lists.
Where outlets agree The details come from the USDA's official recall notice, which the Boston Globe also reported along with Kayem's statement.
Where they differ Kayem said it takes full responsibility and has fixed the cooler problem, and it has not disputed the USDA's account.