FDA Upgrades Recall For Millions of Eggs Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

The Food and Drug Administration has upgraded its ongoing egg recall to class 1, the most serious classification for recalls.

The eggs, supplied by Milo’s Poultry Farms, were voluntarily recalled in early September due to potential Salmonella contamination, according to the FDA’s recall announcement.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also issued a food safety alert for the eggs, linking them to an ongoing Salmonella outbreak that has so far sickened 65 people across nine states.

The recall affects all egg types, sizes, and expiration dates for eggs branded as “Milo’s Poultry Farms,” “Tony’s Fresh Market,” “Happy Quackers Farm,” and “M&E Family Farms.” According to the FDA’s website, the recall includes 345,417 dozen cartons of eggs, totaling more than 4 million eggs.

Egg Recall States

The recalled eggs were distributed in three states through retail stores and foodservice distributors:

• Michigan
• Wisconsin
• Illinois

The larger Salmonella outbreak linked to eggs covers a wider area. The CDC has identified 65 people sickened with salmonellosis across nine states:

• California
• Colorado
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Utah
• Virginia
• Wisconsin

The majority of the Salmonella infections occurred in Wisconsin and Illinois, which had 42 and 11 cases, respectively.

This may not be the true number of cases in this Salmonella outbreak, according to the CDC—more people may be sick due to underreporting, and the outbreak may not be limited to states with known illnesses. The CDC estimates that for every Salmonella infection confirmed by a laboratory test, there are about 30 more unreported illnesses.

Throw Away Recalled Eggs

The FDA’s recent upgrade of the egg recall to class 1 means that exposure to the contaminated eggs “may cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”

The CDC is urging people not to eat any recalled eggs and for businesses not to sell or serve them. Anyone with affected eggs at home is instructed to throw them away or to return them where they were purchased.

Any surfaces or items that have come in contact with the recalled eggs should be thoroughly washed with hot, soapy water or sanitized.

Anyone who has come into contact with contaminated eggs should also know and recognize the symptoms of a Salmonella infection. According to the CDC, severe symptoms include:

• Diarrhea, possibly bloody, for more than three days and isn’t improving
• Fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit
• Excessive vomiting
• Signs of dehydration (not peeing much, dry mouth and throat, feeling dizzy)

Contact a healthcare provider if you experience any of those symptoms. Most people with a Salmonella infection recover in a few days without help from antibiotics, but some—including the very young, very old, and immunocompromised people—may have more severe illness that requires hospitalization.