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The Food and Drug Administration has upgraded last month’s recall of nearly 1.6 million dozen eggs. The agency moved it to a Class I event, its most serious classification. The change comes as a salmonella outbreak across 17 states threatens severe illness or death.
What the Class I designation means
The Class I designation covers roughly 19 million white shell and brown cage free eggs. Midwest Poultry Services produced them between June 6 and July 3. The cartons include medium, large, extra large and jumbo eggs. Each carton carries a sell by or best by date ranging from July 20 to Aug. 17. The FDA defines a Class I recall as a situation with a reasonable probability that using or being exposed to the product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.
How many people have gotten sick
The FDA and CDC have not linked the outbreak to any deaths. However, they have confirmed 98 illnesses so far, including 26 hospitalizations. Texas accounts for the vast majority of those illnesses, with 73 cases. Sixteen other states have reported one to five cases each, stretching from New York to California. The agency continues investigating whether other sources may be contributing to the illnesses.
Where the recalled eggs were sold
Midwest Poultry Services pulled the eggs from the market on July 22. Investigators had traced the contamination back to two Texas farms. The company said in a statement that the recall was voluntary and already complete. It framed the current news coverage as an update on an existing recall rather than a new one.
The FDA distributed the recalled eggs to Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana. Brookshire Grocery stores in those two states, plus Arkansas and Oklahoma, also received them. Smaller retail and food service outlets in those four states carried cartons too, along with locations in Mississippi and New Mexico. Retailers sold the eggs under the Kroger and Brookshire’s brand names, as well as Country Morning, Cal-Maine Sunups and Simple Truth.
How to check if your eggs are affected
Consumers can identify recalled cartons by checking for plant codes P-1950 or 0840962. They should also look for Julian dates 157 through 184. Julian dates indicate the day of the year packers packed the eggs, running from 1 to 365. The FDA advises against eating any recalled eggs. Consumers should discard them or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. The agency added a warning for anyone who stored eggs without the original carton. If you cannot confirm whether loose eggs were part of the recall, throw them away as a precaution. Officials also recommend washing and sanitizing any surfaces or containers that may have touched the eggs.
Why this matters right now
Salmonella infection typically causes diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Symptoms usually develop within 12 to 72 hours of exposure. Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems face the highest risk of severe illness. This recall arrives alongside two other major food safety concerns this summer. A cyclospora outbreak tied to lettuce has topped 13,000 cases. A separate salmonella outbreak linked to jalapenos prompted a Taylor Farms recall across 26 states.
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