Sunita Somvanshi
That carton of eggs in your fridge could make you sick. The FDA just upgraded a salmonella-linked egg recall to its highest warning level—and the eggs may still be on store shelves.
On August 12, the agency escalated the recall to Class I, the most serious category. Nearly 1.6 million dozen eggs from Midwest Poultry Services, L.P. are affected, which means roughly 19 million individual eggs distributed across the country.
Check your carton. Look for the plant code P-1950 or 0840962, and Julian codes 157 through 184. (Julian codes count the day of the year—so 157 means the 157th day, around early June.)
The eggs reached stores under several brand names: Kroger, Simple Truth, Brookshire’s, Country Morning, and Cal-Maine Sunups.
The recalled eggs were distributed in six states: Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and New Mexico. Major retailers include Kroger (in Texas and Louisiana) and Brookshire Grocery (in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Mississippi).
The recall involves Salmonella Enteritidis contamination. The bacteria can cause serious food poisoning.
The CDC has documented 98 cases linked to these eggs across 17 states. Of those, 26 people needed hospitalization. No deaths have been reported.
Symptoms typically appear 6 to 72 hours after exposure. Look for diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Most people recover in a week without treatment.
Some people face higher risk. Young children under 5, adults over 65, and anyone with a weakened immune system can develop severe illness. Pregnant women should be especially careful.
If you bought eggs with the recalled codes, don’t cook or eat them—throw them away.
Clean any surfaces the eggs touched with hot, soapy water. Wash your hands thoroughly.
If you did cook with these eggs, there’s still a window. Cooking eggs to 160°F kills salmonella. If you heated them properly, the risk is lower—but watch for symptoms over the next few days.
To stay safe going forward: store eggs in the coldest part of your refrigerator, cook them until the whites and yolks are firm, and wash your hands and utensils after handling raw eggs.
If you think you got sick from these eggs, contact your doctor or local health department. You can also report it to the FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.
For questions about the recall, call Midwest Poultry Services at 574-405-9531. They’re available Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4:30 PM Eastern Time.
This isn’t the first salmonella scare. In 2008, Wright County Eggs recalled 380 million eggs after a similar outbreak. That crisis led to stricter farm safety rules. Yet salmonella can still contaminate eggs because the bacteria sometimes infects the bird’s ovaries before the shell forms. Once inside, it’s invisible and impossible to see on the outside of the carton.
If you need eggs during the recall, consider pasture-raised brands or products labeled as salmonella-tested. Many retailers have alternatives in stock.
Sources:
– FDA: https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/midwest-poultry-services-lp-recalls-shell-eggs-due-to-possible-salmonella-enteritidis-contamination
– CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/shell-eggs-07-26/index.html
– FDA Outbreak Investigation: https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-eggs-july-2026
