Deli meats can be a convenient way for people to make quick meals. However, if you don’t handle them properly, they can make you sick. Proper handling of deli meats means keeping them at the right temperature at all times. That’s the basis for the current recall of over 1.5 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry manufactured and distributed by Kayem Foods Inc. Here’s what you need to know.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a Class 1 product recall for 1,584,361 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products that were manufactured and distributed by Kayem Foods Inc., a Massachusetts-based company. The products were produced approximately from March 31, 2026, to Oct. 7, 2026, and have been distributed nationwide and in Hong Kong.
The list of affected products is extensive and includes various types of frankfurters, hot dogs, kielbasa, bratwurst, and bacon under the Kayem brand, among others. You can access the entire list here.
This recall has been categorized as a Class 1 recall because the company believes these products experienced temperature abuse. The issue came to the company’s attention when a retail customer complained that the product arrived at the point of delivery at warm temperatures on October 1, 2026. A Class 1 recall is defined as a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.
Temperature abuse is classified as high priority because it happens when foods aren’t stored at the right temperature for extended periods. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), perishable foods are considered to be fresh or processed meats, poultry, seafood, dairy products, bakery products, eggs in the shell, fresh fruits or vegetables, and foods that have been packaged, refrigerated, or frozen, or otherwise require refrigeration to remain safe. Basically, anything that needs to be refrigerated or frozen to stay safe to eat.
With these foods, avoid the ‘danger zone,’ where microorganisms like bacteria are likely to thrive. This zone is generally between 40 ° and 140 °F, where bacteria grow well. They can start doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes at this temperature. Never leave perishable food out of refrigeration for more than two hours. If the temperature is above 90 °F, food should not be left out for more than one hour.
Knowing that, you can see why hearing that someone received their deli meat warm can be a problem. They have no way of knowing how long the product was inside the danger zone or what bacteria may have grown during that time.
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Although the USDA has reported no illnesses from consuming these products, it’s important to know what to look for if you’ve been affected. Deli meats affected by temperature abuse can grow harmful microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Campylobacter. Eating foods contaminated with these bacteria can cause a range of food poisoning symptoms.
With Staphylococcus aureus, symptoms can start within 30 minutes to eight hours after you eat contaminated food. You may experience:
Although symptoms can vary, they’re rarely severe.
By comparison, Salmonella symptoms can take anywhere from six hours to six days to appear. You may then be sick for four to seven days. During this time, you can have:
With E. coli, you may develop symptoms within three to four days of eating the contaminated food. You may have:
Additionally, five to 10 percent of people who are diagnosed with E. coli food poisoning develop a life-threatening health problem called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This condition can lead to permanent health problems, kidney failure, and even death. Some of the symptoms of HUS include:
Please note that HUS is an emergency situation, so you need to seek medical attention immediately if you have any of these symptoms.
Finally, if you’ve eaten food contaminated with Campylobacter, you may develop symptoms within two to five days. Although it causes almost 1.9 million illnesses each year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that many cases go undiagnosed. If you have food poisoning from Campylobacter, you may get the following :
Regardless of what’s causing your symptoms, it’s important to see your doctor about them. Sometimes, you may be able to ride through the illness with some at-home care or over-the-counter medication. Your doctor is the best one to make that call.
According to the recall notice from the USDA, you should throw the affected products away or return them to where you bought them. You should know, though, that the guidelines for discarding potentially contaminated food can vary according to your state. That’s why it’s a good idea to contact your local health department to find out how to proceed.
If you’d prefer to return the products to where you got them, check the best way to do so. You may also contact Kayem Foods Customer Service between Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. EDT at 800-426-6100 or [email protected].
As noted above, the list of products that are affected by this recall is extensive. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find an alternative. After all, the cold cuts market is growing. You can check your local grocer for alternative brands that haven’t been affected by the recall.
Another potential route is to explore deli meat alternatives. Some options include:
It’s also a good time to experiment with what you can do with your leftovers.
This product recall of deli meats has the potential to affect a large number of people. Check the list of affected products to see if you have any of it. If you do, figure out how you want to get rid of it and then give different alternatives a try!
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