The Class I Salmonella egg recall involving nearly 19 million eggs has raised new food safety concerns after federal investigators linked the products to a multistate outbreak that has sickened 98 people across 17 states.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has classified a major egg recall as Class I, its highest-risk category, after federal investigators linked the products to a multistate Salmonella outbreak.

Midwest Poultry Services, L.P. first announced the recall on July 22. The company recalled 1,589,577 dozen white and brown shell eggs produced at farms in Texas, or about 19 million individual eggs.

The FDA classified the recall as Class I on Aug. 12. The agency uses that designation when a recalled product could cause serious health problems or death.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 98 illnesses across 17 states in connection with the outbreak. At least 26 people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

Illnesses began between Nov. 21, 2025, and June 30, 2026, according to federal health officials.

Investigators found a strong link between the outbreak and egg consumption. Of 44 people interviewed about what they ate before becoming sick, 40 reported eating eggs.

Laboratory testing also tied the outbreak to Midwest Poultry Services facilities in Texas. Investigators detected Salmonella in samples collected from the farms, and genetic testing showed that the bacteria closely matched the strain found in people who became ill.

The company said it discovered the contamination concern during environmental monitoring and an investigation at two Texas farms. It has stopped distributing fresh eggs from those locations.

What consumers should know

The recalled eggs were distributed between June 6 and July 3. The affected cartons have sell-by or best-by dates ranging from July 20 through Aug. 17, 2026.

Brands included in the recall include Kroger, Simple Truth, Brookshire’s, Country Morning, Cal-Maine Sunups and Sunups.

Consumers should check cartons for plant codes P-1950 or 0840962 and Julian dates between 157 and 184.

The FDA has confirmed distribution in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Some recalled eggs may also have reached other areas through retailers and food-service companies.

Health officials are urging consumers not to eat recalled eggs, even if they look or smell normal.

The CDC recommends throwing away the eggs or returning them to the place of purchase. Consumers should also wash refrigerator shelves, containers, countertops and kitchen tools that may have come into contact with the products.

Restaurants and retailers should not sell or serve recalled eggs.

Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Some people may also experience nausea or vomiting.

Young children, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems face a greater risk of severe illness. In rare cases, the infection can spread beyond the intestines and become life-threatening.

The CDC recommends contacting a health care provider if symptoms become severe. Warning signs include bloody diarrhea, a fever above 102 degrees Fahrenheit, frequent vomiting, dehydration or diarrhea that lasts more than two days without improvement.

Federal data also show that the outbreak has affected people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Among patients with available ethnicity information, 35% identified as Hispanic. Among those with available race information, 12% identified as Black.

Those figures do not show that either group faces a higher risk from this outbreak. Still, they highlight the importance of making food safety warnings easy to understand and widely available.

That can be especially important in communities where language barriers, limited access to health care or financial pressures may make it harder to respond quickly to a food recall. For families already facing high grocery costs, throwing away food can also create an added burden.

Public health agencies can help close those gaps by sharing recall information through local health departments, community organizations, health care providers and multilingual media.

The outbreak investigation remains active.

Consumers are encouraged to check eggs already in their refrigerators, especially because some recalled cartons carry dates through Aug. 17. Anyone who finds an affected carton should discard or return the eggs and clean any surfaces that may have touched them.

The Class I designation does not mean every recalled egg contains Salmonella. It does mean federal officials consider the potential health risk serious enough for consumers, retailers and food-service businesses to act quickly.

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