Nearly two million eggs recalled in US over Salmonella risk

A large-scale recall of almost two million eggs is underway across the United States following confirmed concerns over Salmonella enteritidis contamination, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced.

The recall, announced on Friday, involves 1.7 million dozen brown cage-free and certified organic eggs processed by California-based August Egg Company. These products were distributed between 3 February and 15 May 2025, with sell-by dates from 4 March to 4 June, to retail chains in California and Nevada.

Further distribution between 3 February and 6 May, with sell-by dates extending to 19 June, covered Walmart stores in California, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nebraska, Indiana and Illinois.

Retailers impacted include Save Mart, FoodMaxx, Lucky, Smart & Final, Safeway, Raley’s, Food 4 Less, Ralphs and Walmart. The recalled eggs are packaged in fibre or plastic cartons marked with plant codes P-6562 or CA5330 and Julian Dates between 032 and 126.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has linked the recalled eggs to an outbreak of Salmonella enteritidis, confirming 79 cases of illness across seven states. Of those affected, 21 individuals have been hospitalised, with no reported fatalities.

The CDC has also stated that the actual number of sick people is likely much higher, and the outbreak may have extended beyond the reported states, since many people recover naturally without seeking medical care or being tested for Salmonella. Furthermore, recent cases may not yet have been reported, as it can typically take 3 to 4 weeks to confirm if a sick person is part of an outbreak.

Salmonella infection can cause serious illness, particularly in young children, the elderly and individuals with weakened immune systems. Common symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and, in some cases, bloody diarrhoea.

August Egg Company statement

In a company statement, August Egg Company said:

August Egg Company is voluntarily recalling 1,700,000 dozen shell eggs processed at our California plant and sold to various grocery customers. This recall has been initiated due to possible Salmonella enteritidis contamination, which poses a health risk. With that in mind, we believe it is appropriate out of an abundance of caution to conduct this voluntary recall, as consumers may still have these eggs in their homes.

It is important to know that when our processing plant identified this concern, we immediately began diverting all eggs from the plant to an egg-breaking facility, which pasteurises the eggs and kills any pathogens.

August Egg Company’s internal food safety team also is conducting its own stringent review to identify what measures can be established to prevent this situation from recurring. We are committed to addressing this matter fully and to implementing all necessary corrective actions to ensure this does not happen again.”

The company added that it has not been selling fresh shell eggs for more than 30 days, instead sending all eggs to a pasteurisation facility that eliminates any potential pathogens.

CDC Advice

For consumers:

• Do not eat any recalled eggs. Throw them away or return them to where you bought them.
• Wash items and surfaces that may have touched the recalled eggs using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.
• Call your healthcare provider if you have any severe Salmonella symptoms.

For businesses:

• Do not sell or serve recalled eggs.
• Wash and sanitise items and surfaces that may have come in contact with recalled eggs.

This latest news follows the FDA’s recent escalation of a voluntary recall of tomatoes distributed by Williams Farms Repack LLC to Class I – the highest severity level – citing a heightened risk of severe illness and death linked to Salmonella contamination.