Kayem Foods recalls nearly 1.6 million pounds of meat and poultry

Icons for Food Safety and Product Recall

Kayem Foods Inc. is recalling approximately 1.58 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products because temperature problems during storage may have compromised their safety, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Read the statement from the company at the bottom of this article.

The products were shipped to retail and food service locations nationwide and in Hong Kong. Consumers who purchased the recalled products should not eat them and should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

The Chelsea, Massachusetts, company recalled approximately 1,584,361 pounds of products produced from approximately March 31 through Oct. 7, 2026. The recalled products bear establishment numbers “EST. M/P 7839,” “EST. P 20935A” or “EST. M 9520” inside the USDA inspection mark.

Consumers can check the list of recalled products and UPC codes and product labels on the FSIS website to identify affected items.

The problem came to light after a retail customer complained Oct. 1 about warm product temperatures at delivery. The company investigated and determined that a warehouse cooler used to store various ready-to-eat meat and poultry products had experienced temperature deviations.

There have been no confirmed reports of illness linked to consuming the products, according to FSIS. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.

FSIS said some recalled products may still be in consumers’ refrigerators. The agency checks whether companies notify customers about recalls and take steps to remove affected products from sale. Retail distribution lists will be posted, when available, at fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Kayem Foods Customer Service at 800-426-6100 or info@kayem.com, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time.

For food safety questions, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854 or email MPHotline@usda.gov. Problems with meat, poultry or egg products can also be reported through the USDA’s online consumer complaint system.

Kayem’s statement on the recall

Kayem posted the following statement on the recall:

Kayem Foods, Inc. is voluntarily recalling some fully cooked meat and poultry products, and is working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the product recall. These products, stored and shipped between June 7, 2026, and October 14, 2026, are being recalled due to the recent discovery of a cooling system malfunction at one of the company’s warehouses that resulted in storage temperature deviations.

Consumers who purchased these products, which can be identified by brand, item description, UPC and lot code, are advised to dispose, and not consume, the recalled products. Click here for the list of recalled products. Detailed information about the recall and products can also be found at: USDA Recall Information. If there are any questions or concerns, the company encourages consumers to contact Kayem Foods Customer Service at 800-426-6100 or info@kayem.com.

“Our business depends on providing consumers with safe food of the highest quality,” said Kayem Foods President and CEO, Matt Monkiewicz. “Out of an abundance of caution, we are undertaking this voluntary recall.”

“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.” said Monkiewicz.

In addition to this public announcement, Kayem Foods is contacting each of its wholesale and retail customers directly with instructions to identify and dispose of the recalled products.

Editor’s note: AI was used in the production of this article. To read about how, when and why we make use of AI, read our article “How, When and Why the Cobb County Courier uses AI.”