Kayem Foods Recalls Nearly 1.6 Million Pounds of Ready-to-Eat Meats Over Temperature Abuse
Federal regulators have announced a nationwide recall of nearly 1.6 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products after discovering that the items were subjected to potential temperature abuse during storage.
Kayem Foods Inc. initiated the voluntary recall for approximately 1,584,361 pounds of food items, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. The regulatory agency has assigned the recall its highest-level classification, indicating a reasonable probability that consuming the affected products could result in serious adverse health consequences or death.
The massive recall covers a wide array of ready-to-eat meat and poultry goods produced over a multi-month window, specifically from March 31 through October 7. These items were shipped to retail stores and foodservice locations across the United States, as well as internationally to Hong Kong.
Affected products feature specific establishment numbers printed inside the USDA mark of inspection, which include “EST. M/P 7839,” “EST. P 20935A,” and “EST. M 9520.” Kayem Foods has released an extensive nine-page catalog detailing all impacted merchandise. Among the recalled goods are popular items such as 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 safety issue came to light following a customer complaint from a retail location on October 1 regarding warm product temperatures upon delivery. Following this report, the company launched an internal investigation and determined that several ready-to-eat items had been stored in a warehouse cooler that suffered from temperature deviations. Representatives for Kayem explained that the fluctuations stemmed from a cooling-system malfunction at one of its warehouse facilities. The company stated that the mechanical issue has since been resolved and that the recall is being conducted out of an abundance of caution.
Food safety officials have expressed concern that many of the affected products may currently be sitting in household refrigerators or commercial kitchens. Consumers and food establishments possessing any of the items are instructed not to consume them. Instead, individuals should either discard the products or return them to the place of purchase for a refund.
As of the announcement, federal authorities and company representatives confirmed there have been no confirmed reports of adverse illnesses linked to the consumption of the recalled items. Anyone who has eaten the products and is concerned about potential health effects is advised to contact a healthcare provider.
