Kayem Hot Dog Recall 2026: Products, EST Numbers, What to Do
Kayem Foods is recalling about 1.58 million pounds of hot dogs, bacon, deli meats and chicken sausages that may have been stored too warm. Here is how to check your package and what to do.
- Kayem Foods is recalling about 1,584,361 pounds of ready-to-eat hot dogs, bacon, deli meats and sausages after a warehouse cooler problem.
- Check for EST. M/P 7839, EST. P 20935A or EST. M 9520 inside the USDA mark, then match the UPC and date on the official list.
- Do not eat recalled items; throw them away or return them. No illnesses had been confirmed when the Class I recall was announced.
As of October 26, 2026, Kayem Foods is recalling about 1,584,361 pounds of ready-to-eat hot dogs, bacon, deli meats, chicken sausages and other products that may have been stored at unsafe temperatures. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the Class I recall on Saturday, October 17. To check your fridge or freezer, look for establishment number EST. M/P 7839, EST. P 20935A or EST. M 9520 inside the USDA mark of inspection, and do not eat any match.
No illnesses had been confirmed when the recall was announced. This article summarizes public information; the official source is the FSIS recall notice, which includes the full product list and label images.
What is being recalled
The recall covers ready-to-eat meat and poultry sold under several brands. AARP listed Al Fresco, Deutschmacher, Essem, Jordan's, Kayem, McKenzie, Triple M and Winnisimmet St. Butchery. Product types include:
- Hot dogs and franks: beef and beef-and-pork hot dogs, natural casing franks, red hot dogs, cocktail franks and Kayem's Fenway Franks.
- Sausages: Al Fresco chicken sausages and breakfast links, kielbasa and bratwurst.
- Bacon: thick-cut, applewood, maplewood and roasted bacon, plus bacon ends and pieces.
- Deli and other meats: ham, turkey breast, bologna, corned beef, roast beef, liverwurst, beef brisket, chicken meatballs and breakfast patties.
The product list Kayem posted on its website on October 16 has 68 lines, each with a brand, item description, net weight, UPC code and best-before date range. News outlets described the official FSIS list differently: NBC Chicago said hundreds of items, while Fox 8 Cleveland said dozens. Because the counts vary, check your package against the FSIS list rather than a summary.
How to check your package
There are three things to match:
- The establishment number. FSIS lists EST. M/P 7839, EST. P 20935A and EST. M 9520. The number is printed inside the round USDA mark of inspection on the label.
- The UPC code. Kayem's statement says recalled items can be identified by brand, item description, UPC and lot code.
- The date. Kayem's list gives a best-before date range for each item.
Some examples from Kayem's list, copied exactly:
- Kayem Fenway Franks, 14 oz, UPC 003077101114, best before 10/22/2026 to 10/29/2026.
- Kayem Small Batch Double Smoked Thick Cut Bacon, 12 oz, UPC 003077101403, best before 07/11/2026 to 12/20/2026.
- Al Fresco Sweet Apple Fully Cooked Chicken Sausage, 11 oz, UPC 003077102637, best before 07/22/2026 to 12/25/2026.
- McKenzie Antibiotic Free Honey Uncured Ham, UPC 003077109547, best before 09/18/2026 to 02/08/2027.
Several best-before dates run into December 2026 and early 2027, so recalled products could still be in home refrigerators and freezers. Fox Business reported that FSIS shares that concern.
Why the products were recalled
The trigger was a warm delivery. On October 1, a retail customer complained that products arrived warm, according to FSIS as reported by Fox 8. The recall notice says: "The establishment investigated and determined that they stored various RTE meat and poultry products in a warehouse cooler that experienced temperature deviations."
Kayem blamed a cooling system malfunction at one of its warehouses and said the problem has been fixed. In its recall announcement, Kayem president and CEO Matt Monkiewicz said: "Out of an abundance of caution, we are undertaking this voluntary recall." He added that management takes full responsibility, CBS Boston reported.
FSIS described the risk as possible "temperature abuse" during storage. The notice does not name a specific germ, AARP noted. Federal food safety guidance on FoodSafety.gov explains why storage temperature matters: bacteria that cause food poisoning multiply fastest between 40°F and 140°F, and refrigerators should be kept at 40°F or below.
FSIS placed the recall in Class I, its highest category. Fox Business explained that this means there is a reasonable probability that eating the product could cause serious health problems or death.
Dates and where the products went
The two official accounts use different date windows:
- FSIS: the items were produced from about March 31 to October 7, 2026, according to Fox 8, NBC Chicago and AARP.
- Kayem: the affected products were stored and shipped between June 7 and October 14, 2026.
The windows measure different things, production versus storage and shipping, so neither alone tells you whether a package is affected. The UPC and date list is the reliable check.
FSIS said the products went to retail and food service locations nationwide and in Hong Kong, according to Fox Business, Fox 8 and ECIKS. AARP reported that Walmart pulled products from select stores in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. Market Basket's recall page lists the Kayem recall under October 16. FSIS has said it will post retail distribution lists when they are available, according to AARP.
What to do if you have a recalled product
- Do not eat it. FSIS advises consumers not to consume the recalled products.
- Throw it away or return it. Discard the product or take it back to the place of purchase.
- Check the freezer, too. Fox 8 advised checking both refrigerators and freezers.
- Talk to a doctor if you are worried. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.
- Ask questions through official channels. Kayem's customer service line is 800-426-6100, Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern, or info@kayem.com. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is 888-674-6854, according to AARP and ECIKS.
Restaurants and other food service buyers should also check stock. Kayem said it is contacting its wholesale and retail customers directly with instructions to find and dispose of the products.
Kayem's earlier recall
This is not Kayem's first recall from the same establishment. In July 2025, the company recalled more than 24,000 pounds of Al Fresco Sweet Apple chicken sausage that might have contained pieces of plastic, CBS News reported. Those products carried establishment number P-7839. That was a separate incident with a different cause, and no injuries were reported.
Our take
This analysis is based on the sources cited above. The recall is large by weight, but it stems from a storage temperature failure rather than a confirmed contamination, and no illnesses had been confirmed. The Class I label still means regulators see a real risk, so the safest step is the simple one: match the establishment number, UPC and date, and throw out anything that matches.
The main source of confusion is the gap between the FSIS production window and Kayem's shipping window. That gap is a reason to rely on the official product list, not on dates in news headlines. For another consumer deadline this fall, see our explainer on Medicare Advantage plan cancellations.
What to watch next
- FSIS retail distribution lists naming the stores that received recalled products.
- Any confirmed illness reports linked to the products.
- Any expansion or update to the product list.
Frequently asked questions
Which Kayem hot dogs are recalled?
The recall includes several Kayem hot dogs and franks, including Fenway Franks, beef hot dogs, beef and pork hot dogs and natural casing franks, plus products from Al Fresco, McKenzie, Triple M, Jordan's and other brands. Check the establishment number, UPC and date against the FSIS product list.
Why were Kayem products recalled?
FSIS said the products may have experienced temperature abuse during storage. A retail customer reported warm product on October 1, and Kayem traced the problem to a cooling system malfunction at one of its warehouses.
Has anyone gotten sick from the Kayem recall?
No confirmed illnesses had been reported when FSIS announced the recall on October 17, 2026. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.
What should I do with recalled Kayem products?
Do not eat them. Throw them away or return them to where you bought them. Questions can go to Kayem at 800-426-6100 or the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854.
Sources
- Kayem Foods, Inc. Recalls Meat and Poultry Products Due to Possible Temperature Abuse, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Kayem Foods Voluntary Product Recall, Kayem Foods
- Affected SKU List (recalled products, Oct. 16, 2026), Kayem Foods
- Kayem Hot Dogs and Sausages Recalled Nationwide, AARP
- Kayem recalls more than 1.5 million pounds of hot dogs, bacon and other meats for possible "temperature abuse", CBS Boston
- Massive meat recall hits 1.6M pounds of hot dogs, bacon, brisket sold nationwide, Fox Business
- Hot dog recall: Hundreds of Kayem food products recalled by USDA, NBC Chicago
- Massive recall on hot dogs, bacon, deli meat and more: USDA, Fox 8 Cleveland (WJW)
- Hot dog recall: Kayem recalls more than 1.5 million pounds of hot dogs and other meats, ECIKS
- Product Recalls, Market Basket
- Kayem Foods recalls chicken sausage over possible plastic pieces, CBS News
- 4 Steps to Food Safety, FoodSafety.gov (U.S. HHS)
How we wrote this
GessyMorgan explainers are built from public reporting and official sources. This post draws on the 12 sources listed above, each linked where we use it. It was drafted with AI assistance and checked against those sources before publishing. We did not test products, attend events or interview anyone for this article. Facts are current as of October 26, 2026, and we update the post when they change.
