Kayem Hot Dog and Bacon Recall: What to Do

Kayem Foods, the Chelsea, Massachusetts, maker of hot dogs, bacon and other ready-to-eat meats, is recalling approximately 1,584,361 pounds of meat and poultry products that may have been stored at unsafe temperatures, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced on Oct. 17.

The recall covers well-known products such as Kayem hot dogs and Fenway Franks, Kayem and McKenzie bacon, al fresco chicken sausages and a range of hams, turkey breasts and deli items. The products were shipped to retail and foodservice locations nationwide and to Hong Kong.

This article is for general information only. For questions about a specific product or your health, follow the official recall notice and contact a healthcare provider if you feel ill.

What should I do if I have a recalled product?

According to FSIS and Kayem’s own recall notice:

Don’t eat it. FSIS says consumers who bought these products “are urged not to consume them.”
Throw it away or return it. FSIS says the products “should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.” Kayem’s notice tells consumers to “dispose, and not consume” them.
Check your fridge and freezer. FSIS says it is concerned that some product may already be in consumers’ refrigerators.
If you’re worried about an illness, call a doctor. FSIS says anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider.
Ask questions. Kayem Foods Customer Service is available Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, at 800-426-6100 or info@kayem.com. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854), or email MPHotline@usda.gov.

How do I know if my package is part of the recall?

Look for these establishment numbers inside the USDA mark of inspection on the package:

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

Kayem says recalled items can be identified by brand, item description, UPC and lot code. FSIS has posted the full product list with UPC codes and images of the product labels on its website.

The dates are described differently by the two official notices. FSIS says the products were produced from approximately March 31 to Oct. 7, 2026. Kayem’s notice says the affected products were stored and shipped between June 7 and Oct. 14, 2026. If you’re unsure, compare the UPC and establishment number on your package with the official list.

Which products are included?

The list is long. Among the items named in the official product list, as reported by Food Network and CBS Boston:

Brand	Examples of recalled items
Kayem	Old Tyme beef and pork franks, Old Tyme Reds franks, beef hot dogs, lower sodium hot dogs, Fenway Franks, mini cocktail franks, bologna, beef kielbasa, thick-cut bacon (maplewood, applewood, double smoked), corned beef, smoked brisket
al fresco	Chicken sausages in many flavors, breakfast chicken sausages and patties, chicken meatballs, oven roasted turkey breast
McKenzie	Natural classic franks, cob smoked bacon, uncured hams, liverwurst, turkey breasts
Other labels	Triple M hams, Deutschmacher honey ham and liverwurst, Jordan’s franks, Essem frankfurts, Winnisimmet St. Butchery bacon

This table is a summary, not the complete list. Check the FSIS notice for every item and its UPC.

Why are the products being recalled?

FSIS says the problem was discovered after Kayem received a retail customer complaint on Oct. 1 about warm product temperatures at the point of delivery. The company investigated and found that it had stored various ready-to-eat meat and poultry products in a warehouse cooler that “experienced temperature deviations.”

Kayem described it as 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. “We take food safety very seriously and apologize to our valued consumers. Our management team takes full responsibility. We have learned from and corrected the issue and will not allow this to happen again.”

Kayem says it is also contacting each of its wholesale and retail customers directly with instructions to identify and dispose of the products.

Has anyone gotten sick?

No. FSIS says there have been no confirmed reports of illness from eating these products.

How serious is this recall?

Food Network reported that this is a Class I recall, the highest risk level. FSIS describes a Class I recall as a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that using the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death. That classification reflects the potential risk of the products, not reports of illness; none have been confirmed.

FAQ

Are all Kayem hot dogs recalled?

Not necessarily. Only products on the official list with the establishment numbers above are included. Compare your package’s UPC and establishment number with the FSIS list.

Can I cook the product to make it safe?

The official notices don’t say so. FSIS and Kayem both say not to eat recalled products and to throw them away or return them.

Can I get a refund?

FSIS says products can be returned to the place of purchase. Contact the store or Kayem Customer Service for details.

Earlier coverage: Kayem recall: 1.58 million pounds of bacon, deli meats and hot dogs recalled over 'temperature abuse' (Oct 21)

Kayem recalls 1.58 million pounds of hot dogs, bacon and deli meats: What to check and what to do