An extensive recall of nearly 1.6 million dozen eggs has been raised to the highest-risk warning by the US Food and Drug Administration as officials look into a salmonella outbreak that has made almost 100 people ill.
On 12 August, the FDA upgraded the recall involving almost 1.6 million dozen white and brown cage-free eggs due to worries about possible salmonella contamination.
The recall is now classified as class I, which the FDA describes 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”.
As of 24 July, at least 98 individuals from 17 states have fallen ill in this outbreak linked to the recalled eggs, with 26 requiring hospitalization. The illnesses were recorded between 21 November 2025 and 30 June 2026.
The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported awareness of 26 hospitalizations related to this outbreak; however, no fatalities have been noted.
Midwest Poultry Services discovered the problem through “proactive environmental monitoring practices and root cause analysis”, according to an FDA recall report. As of 22 July, the company had stopped distributing fresh eggs from its Texas farms.
Nevertheless, concerns remain regarding the recalled eggs since their best-by and sell-by dates go up until 17 August.
These eggs were produced in Texas and distributed within the state as well as across parts of the southern US including food service retail outlets in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
The affected eggs can be found at Kroger locations in Texas and Louisiana along with Brookshire Grocery stores across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Mississippi – plus “other smaller retail outlets”, based on initial recall notifications.
The specific egg products included in this recall are detailed in an enforcement report. Midwest Poultry Services previously advised consumers not to consume these recalled eggs but rather return them where they were purchased for a refund.
This reclassification of the recall comes while the Trump administration deals with multiple health emergencies concerning food safety across America.
The US has witnessed one of its largest documented foodborne illness outbreaks ever recorded; confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis connected to lettuce have exceeded over 13,000. Additionally, another salmonella outbreak involving jalapeños has led to a recall affecting Taylor Farms products distributed across 26 states.
On Monday, the FDA announced updates to its regulations on how food manufacturers inform the agency about new ingredients entering markets. While this change would close an existing regulatory gap, it does not meet all promises made by the administration regarding comprehensive reforms on food regulations.
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