Massive meat recall announced

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced a voluntary recall by Kayem Foods Inc. on Saturday involving more than one point five million pounds of meat products.

What Kayem Foods recalled

Kayem Foods is recalling one million five hundred eighty-four thousand three hundred sixty-one pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products over fears they may have experienced temperature abuse during storage.

Products affected by recall

The recalled products include ready-to-eat items such as sausages and bacon sold under nine different brands, though the article does not name all nine brands.

About Kayem Foods Inc.

Kayem Foods Inc. is a more-than-a-century-old meat products company based in Chelsea, Massachusetts.

How the problem was discovered

One of Kayem Foods' retail customers complained about warm product temperatures related to some of the meat products, prompting the company to investigate.

What Kayem found

Kayem's investigation found that one of the warehouse coolers where the products were stored experienced temperature deviations, according to the FSIS.

What temperature abuse means

Temperature abuse does not mean someone knowingly altered the meats' temperature. The term refers to unintended temperature deviations during storage or handling.

“may have experienced temperature abuse during storage”

Why this matters for consumers

Temperature abuse can allow harmful bacteria to grow in meat products, potentially causing foodborne illness if the products are consumed without proper cooking.

What consumers should do

Consumers who have purchased recalled products should check packaging against the recall notice and either discard the items or return them to the retailer.

Voluntary recall status

The recall is voluntary, meaning Kayem Foods initiated it rather than being ordered to do so by the USDA or FSIS.