Kayem Recall: 1.58M Pounds of Hot Dogs, Bacon, Deli Meat

Check your refrigerator before the next cookout or deli sandwich. Kayem Foods, the Massachusetts company behind Kayem hot dogs and Fenway Franks, is recalling about 1,584,361 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry because the products "may have experienced temperature abuse during storage," the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced on Oct. 17, 2026. The list spans hot dogs, bacon, chicken sausage, ham, turkey breast and other deli meats sold under several brand names. Searches for "Kayem bacon and deli recall" and "Kayem hot dog and bacon recall" passed 100,000 in the U.S. on Google Trends over the past week. Here is what to look for.

What we know

According to FSIS, the recalled ready-to-eat products were produced from about March 31 to Oct. 7, 2026, and shipped to retail and foodservice locations nationwide and in Hong Kong. Kayem's own recall notice, dated Oct. 16, describes the products as "stored and shipped between June 7, 2026, and October 14, 2026." Because the two notices describe different date ranges, use the product list and codes rather than dates to check what you have.

Sources: FSIS; Kayem Foods.

How it was discovered

FSIS says the problem came to light after Kayem received "a retail customer complaint regarding warm product temperatures at point of delivery on October 1, 2026." The company investigated and found that it had stored various ready-to-eat products in a warehouse cooler that experienced temperature deviations. Kayem said the cause was "a cooling system malfunction at one of the company's warehouses."

"Our business depends on providing consumers with safe food of the highest quality," Kayem President and CEO Matt Monkiewicz said in the company's statement. "Out of an abundance of caution, we are undertaking this voluntary recall." He added: "We take food safety very seriously and apologize to our valued consumers. Our management team takes full responsibility."

How serious is it?

Food Network reported that the recall is Class I, the highest risk level. FSIS defines a Class I recall as "a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death." There have been no confirmed illnesses.

Who is Kayem?

Kayem describes itself as a family-owned, fourth-generation company headquartered in Chelsea, Massachusetts, that produces a wide variety of fully cooked meat and poultry products. FSIS lists the recalled items under the processing category "fully cooked, not shelf stable," meaning they need to be kept refrigerated.

FSIS put it plainly: it "is concerned that some product may be in consumers' refrigerators." Since production dates go back to the spring, check the freezer as well as the fridge.

Which brands and products are recalled

The FSIS product list, as published by Food Network, includes nearly 70 items. Highlights by brand:

• Kayem: 14-ounce hot dogs, 14-ounce beef hot dogs, Fenway Franks, Old Tyme beef and pork franks, Old Tyme Reds, lower-sodium hot dogs, mini cocktail franks, original bologna, kielbasa, Polish loaf, extra lean corned beef, and maplewood, applewood and double-smoked thick-cut bacon.
• Al Fresco: chicken sausages in flavors including roasted garlic, spinach and feta, sweet apple, hot honey and cranberry sage, plus chicken meatballs, breakfast patties and oven-roasted turkey breast.
• McKenzie: natural classic franks, cob-smoked bacon, uncured hams, liverwurst and several turkey breasts.
• Other brands: Triple M hams, Deutschmacher honey ham and liverwurst, Jordan's franks, Essem frankfurts and Winnisimmet St Butchery bacon.

Popular items and UPCs

These are some of the most widely searched items, with UPCs from the FSIS list as published by Food Network:

• Kayem 14 oz Hot Dog: UPC 003077101111
• Kayem 14 oz Beef Hot Dogs: UPC 003077101112
• Kayem 14 oz Fenway Franks: UPC 003077101114
• Kayem Maplewood Thick Cut Bacon 12 oz: UPC 003077101401
• Kayem Applewood Thick Cut Bacon 12 oz: UPC 003077101402
• Kayem Double Smoked Thick Cut Bacon 12 oz: UPC 003077101403
• Al Fresco Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage 11 oz: UPC 003077102632
• McKenzie 16 oz Sliced Cob Smoked Bacon: UPC 003077109553

Some items are sold to delis and foodservice, so you may have bought them sliced at a counter rather than in the original package. If you are unsure, ask the store where you bought it.

What to do

1. Check the USDA mark. Look for EST. M/P 7839, EST. P 20935A or EST. M 9520 inside the USDA mark of inspection.
2. Match the product. Compare the name and UPC with the FSIS product list and label images linked from the FSIS notice.
3. Do not eat it. FSIS urges consumers not to eat recalled products and to throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.
4. Ask questions. Call Kayem Customer Service at 800-426-6100 (Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET) or the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854.
5. If you feel ill, contact a healthcare provider.

What's next

1. Retail lists. FSIS says it will post retail distribution lists on its website when available, which will show where products were sold.
2. Effectiveness checks. FSIS routinely checks that recalling firms notify customers and that products are no longer available. Kayem says it is contacting each of its wholesale and retail customers directly with instructions to identify and dispose of the recalled products. "We have learned from and corrected the issue and will not allow this to happen again," Monkiewicz said.
3. Holiday hosting. Halloween parties and fall gatherings are coming up; see our Halloween 2026 spending and safety guide. Also check our coverage of the 2026 toothpaste recall.

The bottom line

The Kayem recall is large and covers several brands, from Fenway Franks to Al Fresco chicken sausage. Check the establishment number and UPC, and if it matches, throw it out or return it. This article is general information, not medical advice.