Kayem Recalls 1.58 Million Pounds of Meat Products Nationwide

A warehouse cooling-system malfunction has prompted Kayem Foods Inc. to recall 1,584,361 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products distributed across the United States and Hong Kong, federal food safety officials said. The recall covers items including hot dogs, bacon, brisket and ham that may have been exposed to unsafe storage temperatures.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) assigned the recall its highest risk classification. According to the agency, that designation means there is a reasonable probability that consuming the affected products could cause serious adverse health consequences or death.

The affected products were manufactured approximately between March 31 and Oct. 7. Their USDA inspection marks contain one of three establishment numbers: EST. M/P 7839, EST.

P 20935A or EST. M 9520.

Kayem Foods has provided a nine-page list identifying the recalled items. Products include Kayem Beef & Pork Hot Dogs, Kayem Double Smoked Thick Cut Bacon, Kayem Slow Smoked Beef Brisket, Genoa Hot Ham, Al Fresco Roasted Pepper & Asiago Chicken Sausage and Triple M Boneless Ham Steaks.

The company initiated the voluntary recall after investigating a customer complaint about products arriving at retail locations at elevated temperatures on October 1. The investigation found that various ready-to-eat meat and poultry products had been stored in a warehouse cooler that experienced temperature fluctuations.

Kayem Foods attributed the temperature deviations to a cooling-system malfunction at one of its warehouses. The company said it had corrected the problem and was recalling the products as a precaution.

FSIS said no confirmed illnesses had been linked to consumption of the recalled products at the time of its announcement. The agency also expressed concern that some affected items could still be stored in consumers' refrigerators.

Consumers who purchased the affected products should not eat them. FSIS advises disposing of the items or returning them to the place of purchase, while anyone concerned about a possible illness should contact a healthcare provider.