A to remind of more than 3 million dozen eggs has been upgraded to the FDA‘s highest risk level due to concerns they are infected 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 contaminating food through animal feces.
On Wednesday, the FDA classified the recall as Class I, which indicates “a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that use of or exposure to an violative product will cause serious adverse health effects or death.”
The classification now applies to nearly 1.6 million dozen brown chicken eggs in Grade A shell and nearly 1.6 million white chicken eggs in Grade A shell.
The eggs are produced in Texas and divided into Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texel.
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 stores.
In the most recent CDC update on the recall: As of July 24, there have been 98 cases of salmonella and 26 hospitalizations in 17 states related to the recall. However, these figures are likely an underestimate, as many people recover from salmonella without ever being tested or treated.
It can also take several weeks before an infection is again associated with a recall.
Midwest Poultry Services last month launched its first recall 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-before dates between July 20 and August 17, 2026.
The recalled eggs contain an identifying code number printed on the side of the carton. A complete list can be found on the FDA website.
Both the CDC and FDA are urging Americans not to eat the recalled products and to throw them away or return them to the place of purchase. In addition, because salmonella bacteria can spread, people should wash objects and surfaces that the eggs may have come into contact with.
Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps and dehydration – symptoms that require immediate medical attention, especially in children under five, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems.
The CDC estimates that Salmonella causes approximately 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths annually in the US.
Although most cases resolve with supportive care – mainly hydration and rest – the bacteria’s ability to survive stomach acid and invade intestinal cells makes it a potent pathogen.
In severe cases, the infection can escalate beyond the gastrointestinal tract. When Salmonella enters the bloodstream, a condition known as bacteremia, it can spread to other parts of the body and cause secondary infections.
These may 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 has cleared.
Some people develop reactive arthritis, a condition characterized by joint pain, eye inflammation, and painful urination that can last for months or even years.
Others may suffer from post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), with chronic digestive problems due to the damage caused by bacteria to the intestinal lining during the acute phase of the disease.
Salmonella Enteritidis can contaminate eggs in two ways: through the chicken and through the environment.
Through the chicken takes place in the chicken’s reproductive system. When a chicken becomes infected with Salmonella – often through contaminated feed, water or exposure to infected feces – the bacteria can colonize her intestinal tract and spread to her ovaries and oviducts, or to the organ where eggs are formed.
As the egg develops inside the chicken, the bacteria can be absorbed directly into the yolk or albumen (white) before the shell even forms.
This means that the egg is contaminated from the moment it is laid, and because the bacteria are inside the egg and not on the surface, the egg can appear completely normal, with no cracks or visible defects.
No amount of washing or cleaning of the shell can eliminate this type of contamination because the pathogen is trapped within the egg itself. Only thorough cooking to an internal temperature of 160F will kill the bacteria.
The second route involves environmental pollution after the egg has been laid. Hens naturally excrete bacteria through their droppings and eggs can become contaminated if they come into contact with dirty nesting material, contaminated litter or droppings in the laying environment.
While U.S. egg producers 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.
Moreover, Salmonella is resilient. It can survive on surfaces for weeks and is resistant to certain environmental factors, making it difficult to completely remove it from poultry farms.
The outbreak traced to Midwest Poultry Services highlights the reality that even with modern food safety systems, contamination can occur. The company noted that the 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 thoroughly cooking eggs, especially for high-risk individuals, and why prompt recalls are so essential.
Because contaminated eggs look, smell and taste completely normal, the only way to protect consumers is to remove eggs from the supply chain before they can be eaten.
