WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday classified a recall of more than 19 million eggs as its most serious risk category, after the eggs were linked to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 98 people across 17 states.
That upgrade matters for anyone with eggs still sitting in their fridge. A Class I recall means there’s a real chance eating the product could cause serious illness or death, and the FDA doesn’t hand out that label lightly. If you bought eggs in the affected states this summer, it’s worth checking your carton today.
The recall itself isn’t new. Midwest Poultry Services, L.P., a producer based in Texas, voluntarily pulled 1,589,577 dozen eggs — more than 19 million individually — on July 22. What changed this week is the severity rating, after health officials confirmed the eggs were tied to an active, ongoing outbreak rather than just a theoretical risk.
According to the CDC, 98 people have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis so far, and 26 of them needed hospital care. No deaths have been reported. Illnesses trace back as far as November 2025, though most cases showed up this year.
“Producing safe, quality food for those who eat our eggs is our highest priority, and this voluntary investigation and recall demonstrates that commitment,” Midwest Poultry Services said in its original announcement.
The recalled eggs — both white shell and brown cage-free — were sold under several store and private-label brands, including Kroger, Simple Truth, Brookshire’s, Country Morning and Cal-Maine Sunups. They reached stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico and Mississippi, plus smaller retailers and foodservice customers not named in the notice.
Figuring out if your eggs are affected takes a quick look at the carton. The FDA says to check for plant codes P-1950 or 0840962, along with a Julian date between 157 and 184 and a sell-by or best-by date between July 20 and August 17, 2026. Cartons came in sizes ranging from six eggs up to 60.
If your eggs match those codes, don’t cook or eat them. The FDA recommends returning them to the store for a refund or throwing them away, then washing down anything the eggs may have touched — countertops, containers, the inside of your fridge.
Salmonella symptoms usually show up within six hours to six days of eating contaminated food, and typically include fever, stomach cramps, and watery diarrhea that can last several days. Most healthy adults recover on their own, but the CDC warns that young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems face a higher risk of severe illness.
The FDA and CDC say their investigation is ongoing, and it’s still not clear exactly how the contamination started at the Texas farms. Midwest Poultry Services has halted fresh egg shipments from the affected facilities while that work continues.
