Federal regulators have elevated a recall involving more than 3 million dozen eggs to the FDA’s most serious warning category, citing fears that the products may be tainted with a potentially deadly strain of bacteria.
Midwest Poultry Services announced the recall last month, pulling nearly 1.6 million dozen white and brown egg products after health officials said they could be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis, a pathogen often spread to food through animal feces.
On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration designated the recall as Class I, the agency’s highest risk classification, used when there is a “reasonable probability” that exposure to a product could cause serious health consequences or death.
The upgraded alert covers nearly 1.6 million dozen Grade A brown in-shell chicken eggs, along with nearly 1.6 million dozen Grade A white in-shell chicken eggs.
According to the recall notice, the eggs were produced in Texas and shipped to retailers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Consumers may have purchased the recalled eggs at Kroger locations in Texas and Louisiana, Brookshire Grocery stores across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Mississippi, as well as other smaller retail outlets.
In its latest update tied to the outbreak, issued July 24, the CDC reported 98 salmonella infections and 26 hospitalizations across 17 states. Officials cautioned that the true number of illnesses is likely higher because many people recover without seeking medical care or undergoing testing.
Investigators also note that it can take several weeks to connect a confirmed infection to a specific recalled food product.
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
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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.
