FDA upgrades recall of 19 million eggs to Class I over salmonella risk

Recall and classification

The FDA on 12 August reclassified the recall of approximately 19 million eggs (1,589,577 dozen) to Class I, its highest-risk designation. Class I indicates "a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death." Midwest Poultry Services voluntarily recalled the eggs on 22 July after detecting potential Salmonella Enteritidis contamination at two Texas farms. The company identified the issue through proactive environmental monitoring and root cause analysis, and as of 22 July was no longer distributing fresh eggs from its Texas farms. The eggs were produced between 6 June and 3 July, with sell-by or best-by dates running from 20 July to 17 August 2026.

Illnesses reported

As of 24 July, 98 people across 17 states had fallen ill, with 26 hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Illnesses were reported between 21 November 2025 and 30 June 2026. The FDA noted that the company's eggs did not account for all the illnesses in the salmonella outbreak, and that additional investigation was ongoing to determine if there were other sources of illness. Salmonella symptoms typically emerge within 12 to 72 hours of eating contaminated food and include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, usually lasting four to seven days. The FDA warns that children younger than five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are likely to have more severe infections.

Distribution and brands

The recalled eggs were shipped to stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Mississippi. They were sold under the Country Morning, Cal-Maine Sunups, Brookshire's, Simple Truth, and Kroger brand names. The eggs were available at Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana, and Brookshire Grocery locations in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Mississippi, as well as other smaller retail outlets. Both white shell eggs and brown cage-free shell eggs were affected. The FDA advised consumers to throw away or return recalled eggs for a refund, and recommended that restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell the eggs. Consumers who stored eggs without their original packaging and may have been part of the recall were also advised to discard them.

Industry response

A representative for Midwest Poultry Services referred to a statement from Emily Metz, president and chief executive of the American Egg Board.

What you're seeing in the news today is not a new recall. Midwest Poultry voluntarily recalled affected eggs out of an abundance of caution for consumer health and safety, and that recall is already complete.

The FDA noted that recall classification is done after determining the risk to the public and should not be seen as an expansion or change to a firm's voluntary public warning.

Broader food safety context

The US is also confronting a separate outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic illness linked to contaminated lettuce that causes severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever, body aches, dehydration and extreme fatigue. Federal data released this week showed 4,173 confirmed cases across 41 states, with another 7,400 reports awaiting confirmation by the CDC. Other figures put confirmed cases above 13,000. Michigan recorded the highest number of reported cases, with state officials linking thousands of illnesses to contaminated lettuce. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday the outbreaks were "under control" despite the rising number of reported cases.

We have done extensive forensics, epidemiological forensics and we have identified the source of the outbreak. We, and the companies that are involved, have implemented a recall.