1.6 million eggs contaminated and recalled
Midwest Poultry Service announced a recall of approximately 1.6 million dozen white and brown cage-free eggs due to possible salmonella contamination.
Please check the refrigerator. Salmonella outbreaks linked to recalled eggs have sickened at least 98 people and hospitalized 26 people in 17 states, according to a July 24 update from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Investigators say there is evidence that shell eggs produced by Midwest Poultry Services are the likely source of the outbreak. The discovery was announced days after the company recalled about 1.6 million dozen eggs due to possible salmonella contamination.
What the latest FDA investigation revealed
The disease has been reported in 17 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia, according to the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
People became ill between November 21, 2025 and June 30, 2026. Of the 44 people interviewed, 40, or 91%, reported eating eggs before becoming ill.
The FDA said a follow-up investigation identified Midwest Poultry Service as a common source of eggs. In addition, samples collected by the company at its Texas farm tested positive for Salmonella, and whole-genome sequencing found that some samples matched the outbreak strain. The company shared its findings with the FDA on July 21 before initiating a voluntary recall.
Which eggs are subject to the recall?
The recall includes white-shelled eggs and brown cage-free eggs produced between June 6 and July 3, 2026, with sell-by or best-before dates between July 20 and August 17, 2026.
The eggs were sold in packages of 6 to 60 eggs under the brand names Country Morning, Cal Main Sunups, Brookshire’s, Simple Truth, and Kroger.
Consumers should look for the identification code P-1950 or 0840962 and Julian date from 157 to 184 printed on the side of the carton. The recalled eggs were sold at Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana, Brookshire Grocery stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, and other retail stores in those states, as well as Mississippi and New Mexico.
What should consumers do?
The FDA is asking consumers to check their refrigerators and throw away recalled eggs or return them to the place of purchase for a refund. Anyone who transfers eggs to another container and is unsure whether they are part of the recall should discard them.
Restaurants and retail stores that receive recalled eggs must not serve or sell the eggs and must thoroughly clean and disinfect surfaces and containers that came into contact with the product.
What are the symptoms of salmonella?
According to the FDA, salmonellosis usually develops within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Common symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain, and symptoms usually last 4 to 7 days.
Young children, adults over 65, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of severe illness. FDA recommends that anyone with symptoms of salmonella infection contact their health care provider.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com or X @athompsonUSAT.
