A sweeping egg recall involving nearly 1.6 million dozen eggs has been raised to the US Food and Drug Administration’s most serious risk category, as federal health officials continue to investigate a salmonella outbreak that has sickened close to 100 people.
On 12 August, the FDA reclassified the recall of almost 1.6 million dozen white and brown cage-free eggs because of concerns that the products could be contaminated with salmonella.
The recall is now listed as class I, the agency’s highest warning level. The FDA describes that category 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 people in 17 states had fallen ill in the outbreak tied to the recalled eggs, and 26 had been hospitalized. Reported illnesses occurred between 21 November 2025 and 30 June 2026.
The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed 26 hospitalizations associated with the outbreak. No deaths have been reported.
Midwest Poultry Services discovered the problem through “proactive environmental monitoring practices and root cause analysis”, according to an FDA recall report. By 22 July, the company had stopped distributing fresh eggs from its Texas farms.
Still, officials remain concerned that some of the recalled eggs may still be in homes or businesses, since their best-by and sell-by dates run through 17 August.
The eggs were produced in Texas and distributed within the state, as well as across parts of the US south and south-west. Shipments went to food service and retail locations in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
The affected 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,” according to the initial recall alert.
The specific egg products covered by the recall are listed in the enforcement report. Midwest Poultry Services previously warned consumers not to eat the recalled eggs and instead return them to the place of purchase for a refund.
The recall reclassification comes as the Trump administration confronts a string of health crises involving food safety in the US.
The US has been experiencing one of the largest recorded foodborne illness outbreaks in its history, with confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis linked to lettuce surpassing 13,000. Another salmonella outbreak involving jalapeños has also prompted a recall of Taylor Farms products sold in 26 states.
On Monday, the FDA announced changes to its rules governing how food manufacturers notify the agency about ingredients brought to market. While the change would close a regulatory loophole, it falls short of the administration’s promises to dramatically overhaul food regulations.
