Nearly 1.6 Million Pounds Of Meat Recalled Nationwide

Nearly 1.6 million pounds of ready-to-eat cooked meat and poultry products are being voluntarily recalled nationwide by Kayem Foods, Inc., due to a storage temperature issue. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the recall began after a cooling system malfunction led to deviations from safe storage temperatures at one of the company’s warehouses.

The recalled products, which include bacon, bologna, bratwurst, brisket, chicken sausage, corned beef, frankfurters, hot dogs, and kielbasa, were produced between March 31 and October 7 at Kayem Foods’ Chelsea, Massachusetts, facility. They were then stored and shipped between June 7 and October 14, reaching retailers and food service locations across the United States and Hong Kong. The affected items can be identified by establishment numbers “EST. M/P 7839,” “EST. P 20935A,” and “EST. M 9520” inside the USDA mark of inspection on their labels.

The problem was discovered after a retail customer reported warm product temperatures at delivery on October 1. Kayem Foods investigated and found that a warehouse cooler had malfunctioned, resulting in unsafe storage temperatures, according to WXII 12. No illnesses have been reported so far, but both Kayem Foods and the FSIS urge consumers not to eat the recalled products. Instead, they should dispose of the items or return them to the place of purchase.

Kayem Foods President and CEO Matt Monkiewicz said in a 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."

Consumers can review the full list of recalled products and UPC codes on the USDA website. The USDA recommends keeping meats refrigerated at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, or frozen at 0 degrees, to prevent food-borne illnesses.

Kayem Foods has contacted wholesale and retail customers with instructions for disposing of the affected products. Customers with questions can reach Kayem Foods Customer Service at 800-426-6100 or email info@kayem.com. Food safety questions may also be directed to the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854 or emailed to MPHotline@usda.gov.