FDA Gives Class I Warning to 1.5 Million Egg Recall

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has assigned a Class I designation to a July recall involving 1.58 million cartons of eggs, elevating the warning over concerns about possible Salmonella contamination. The recall covers eggs with sell-by or best-by dates from July 20 through August 17.

The eggs are part of an ongoing Salmonella outbreak investigation. In a July update, the FDA reported that 98 people had been infected with the outbreak strain and identified shell eggs recalled by Midwest Poultry Services as the “likely source of illnesses” associated with the outbreak. Twenty-six people had been hospitalized, while no deaths had been reported at the time of that update.

The FDA describes a Class I recall as a situation where there is a reasonable probability that use of or exposure to a violative product could result in serious adverse health consequences or death. The agency has also clarified that assigning a Class I, II or III designation does not itself expand or alter a company’s voluntary public warning. Recalls can be announced before the FDA formally assigns one of its three classifications.

Consumers can check the identifying codes for the recalled eggs through the FDA’s outbreak investigation information. The affected products have been found at some Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana, as well as Brookshire Grocery locations in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Other smaller retail and foodservice outlets in those four states, along with Mississippi and New Mexico, have also been linked to the recalled eggs.

Salmonella infections commonly cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Symptoms generally begin 12 to 72 hours after consuming contaminated food and typically continue for four to seven days.

The egg recall comes during a year that has seen several major food-safety recalls and outbreak investigations. Earlier this week, Taylor Farms announced recalls of prepared foods containing jalapenos because of potential Salmonella contamination. The recalled products included foods such as guacamole, salsa and pico de gallo distributed through major retailers including Kroger, Walmart, Target and Whole Foods.

Taylor Farms has also been associated with a separate multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce. Since May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received reports of 13,895 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis acquired in the United States. Michigan has accounted for more than 13,000 cases and two deaths as of August 13.