Life-threatening recall of more than 38 million eggs upgraded to FDA’s highest risk level… ‘reasonable probability of death’
A recall of more than 3 million dozen eggs has been upgraded to the FDA’s highest risk level over concerns they are contaminated with a deadly bacteria.
Midwest Poultry Services first issued a recall last month of nearly 1.6 million dozen white and brown egg varieties after health officials warned they may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis, a bacterium that can contaminate food through animal feces.
On Wednesday, the FDA classified the recall as Class I, indicating ‘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.’
The classification now applies to nearly 1.6 million dozen Grade A brown in-shell chicken eggs and nearly 1.6 million Grade A white in-shell chicken eggs.
The eggs were produced in Texas and distributed in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
The products were available to consumers at Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana, Brookshire Grocery stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Mississippi, and other smaller retail outlets.
In the most recent CDC update regarding the recall, from July 24, there were 98 cases of salmonella and 26 hospitalizations across 17 states in connection to the recall. However, those numbers are likely an undercount as many people recover from salmonella without ever being tested or treated.
It also can take several weeks for an infection to be linked back to a recall.
Midwest Poultry Services first issued a recall last month of nearly 1.6 million dozen white and brown egg varieties
The eggs were produced between June 6 and July 3, 2026 with sell by or best by dates between July 20 and August 17, 2026.
The recalled eggs contain an identifying code number printed on the side of the carton. A full list can be found on the FDA’s website.
Both the CDC and FDA are urging Americans to not eat any of the recalled products and to throw them away or return them to the place of purchase. Additionally, because salmonella bacteria can spread, people should wash items and surfaces the eggs may have come into contact with.
Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps and dehydration – symptoms that require immediate medical attention, particularly for children under five, adults over 65 and those with weakened immune systems.
The CDC estimates that Salmonella causes approximately 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths in the US each year.
While most cases resolve with supportive care – primarily hydration and rest – the bacteria’s ability to survive stomach acid and invade intestinal cells makes it a powerful pathogen.
In severe cases, the infection can escalate beyond the gastrointestinal tract. When Salmonella enters the bloodstream, a condition known as bacteremia, it can travel to other parts of the body and cause secondary infections.
These can include endocarditis, or infection of the heart valves; osteomyelitis, or bone infection; meningitis, or an infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord; or septic arthritis, a joint infection.
This map shows where the 98 people in this Salmonella outbreak lived and were infected with the deadly bacteria as of July 24
These invasive infections are particularly dangerous and require prompt treatment with antibiotics, often administered intravenously in a hospital setting.
Invasive salmonellosis can also lead to long-term complications, even after the initial infection resolves.
Some people develop reactive arthritis, a condition characterized by joint pain, eye inflammation, and painful urination that can persist for months or even years.
Others may experience post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), with chronic digestive issues stemming from the damage the bacteria caused to the intestinal lining during the acute phase of illness.
Salmonella Enteritidis can contaminate eggs in two primary ways: through the hen and through the environment.
Through the hen occurs inside the hen’s reproductive system. When a hen carrying Salmonella becomes infected – often through contaminated feed, water or exposure to infected droppings – the bacteria can colonize her intestinal tract and spread to her ovaries and oviduct, or the organ where eggs are formed.
As the egg develops inside the hen, the bacteria can be incorporated directly into the yolk or the albumen – the egg white – before the shell even forms.
This means the egg is contaminated from the very moment it is laid, and because the bacteria are inside it rather than on its surface, the egg can appear perfectly normal with no cracks or visible defects.
No amount of washing or cleaning the shell will eliminate this type of contamination, as the pathogen is sealed within the egg itself. Only thorough cooking to an internal temperature of 160F kills the bacteria.
The second pathway involves environmental contamination after the egg is laid. Hens naturally shed bacteria through their feces and eggs can become contaminated when they come into contact with dirty nesting material, contaminated bedding or feces in the laying environment.
While egg producers in the US follow strict washing and sanitizing protocols to remove surface bacteria, these measures are not foolproof, especially if the shell has microscopic cracks or if the washing process itself is compromised.
Additionally, Salmonella is resilient. It can survive on surfaces for weeks and is resistant to certain environmental stresses, making it difficult to eliminate completely from poultry facilities.
The outbreak traced to Midwest Poultry Services highlights the reality that even with modern food safety systems, contamination can occur. The company noted that its recall was initiated through ‘proactive environmental monitoring practices.’
Routine testing likely detected the bacteria in their facilities or in the eggs themselves. This is why federal regulators and health officials emphasize cooking eggs thoroughly, especially for high-risk individuals, and why prompt recall actions are so vital.
Because contaminated eggs look, smell and taste completely normal, the only way to protect consumers is to remove them from the supply chain before they can be eaten.
