The brand is sold at the nation's biggest supermarkets. Consumer complaints seem to have prompted a breaking investigation.
More Than 24,000 Pounds of Meat Were Just Recalled Nationwide
Published on Jul. 17, 2025
Summer grocery shopping can inspire you to keep an eye out for newer, healthier versions of your usuals. Fresh vegetables don’t lose flavor when you swap out that ranch dressing for hummus…or, follow a recommendation from the American Institute for Cancer Research by occasionally placing grilled chicken on a bun in place of a burger.
For customers who recently opted for a sausage product marketed as having 70% less fat than pork sausage, there’s now notice the meat is being pulled from store shelves after the discovery of a “foreign material.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a recall Thursday for approximately 24,173 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken sausage products labeled as “ALL NATURAL al fresco CHICKEN SAUSAGE SWEET APPLE with Vermont made syrup.”
Though the chicken sausage appears to be sold under the brand name Al Fresco, the report lists the recalling firm as Kayem Foods Inc. of Chelsea, Massachusetts. The company appears to be the producer of numerous sausage products associated with the Kayem name.
The recall is described as nationwide, with the items being reportedly shipped to retail locations across the country. The Al Fresco website shows their products are sold at popular grocery chains such as Walmart, Jewel Osco, Kroger, Meijer, Festival Foods, Publix, and more.
According to the report, the sausage has been recalled because the product “may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically pieces of plastic.” It’s further explained that consumer complaints played a role in the recall’s initiation: “The problem was discovered after the firm notified FSIS that it received three consumer complaints reporting white pieces of plastic in the chicken sausage products.”
The FSIS has designated the recall as “HIGH- Class I,” meaning the situation “involves a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”
The sausages, which are described as “fully cooked,” were reportedly produced on June 28. The FSIS report provides the following details:
- ALL NATURAL al fresco CHICKEN SAUSAGE SWEET APPLE with Vermont made syrup
- 11-oz. vacuum-packed packages containing four pieces
- Lot code: 179
- USE/FRZ BY date: OCT 01 2025, printed on the back package label
The products should also have an establishment number of “P-7839” inside a USDA mark of inspection. Product label images were also provided.
Though there have been no confirmed injuries from eating the products, per the report, the FSIS encourages contacting a healthcare provider for any consumer concerned about a possible injury. Additionally, the agency urges consumers to either throw away or return the chicken sausage to the place of purchase.
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