Federal health officials have escalated a massive egg recall to their highest risk level as they work to contain a multistate Salmonella outbreak. The Food and Drug Administration now classifies the recall of nearly 19.1 million eggs from Midwest Poultry Services as Class I, a designation reserved for situations where there is a reasonable probability that using the product will cause serious health problems or even death. This upgrade comes as investigators link the contaminated poultry products to dozens of illnesses across the country.
The recall affects over 1.5 million dozen white and brown cage-free shell eggs produced at two separate Texas farms between early June and early July. Because many of these cartons carry expiration dates stretching well into next year, officials warn that affected products might still be sitting in consumer refrigerators today. These eggs reached store shelves under several familiar labels, including Kroger, Simple Truth, Brookshire’s, Country Morning, and Cal-Maine Sunups, with distribution concentrated in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.
This urgent warning follows an investigation into 98 reported illnesses spanning 17 different states. While no deaths have been recorded so far, twenty six people required hospitalization due to the infection. Genetic testing conducted on samples from Midwest Poultry Services confirmed matches with the specific strain causing the outbreak, leading the FDA to conclude that these eggs are a likely source of the sicknesses, although they may not account for every single case identified in the probe.
Health experts remind consumers that Salmonella typically manifests through symptoms like fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Those at highest risk for severe complications include young children, elderly individuals, and those with compromised immune systems. Anyone who finds cartons marked with plant codes P-1950 or 0840962 and a Julian date between 157 and 184 should avoid consuming them immediately and instead return them to the point of purchase for a full refund while thoroughly disinfecting any surfaces that touched the packaging.