In a proactive health measure, over a million eggs have been withdrawn from retail stores across six U.S. states due to concerns about potential contamination with a dangerous bacteria, the FDA reports.
Midwest Poultry Services has issued a recall for almost 1.6 million dozen cartons of both white and brown eggs. Health authorities have sounded the alarm about the risk of Salmonella Enteritidis contamination, a bacteria often found in food tainted by animal waste.
The eggs involved in the recall were distributed to a variety of retailers, notably including Kroger in Texas and Louisiana, and Brookshire Grocery outlets in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Mississippi, as detailed by the FDA.
Originating from Texas farms, the eggs were packaged and dispatched between June 6 and July 3, 2026. They bear sell-by or best-by dates that fall between July 20 and August 17.
The FDA has confirmed that, as yet, no illnesses have been connected to these eggs. However, caution is advised as infected eggs may appear normal but can still cause sickness if consumed raw or without sufficient cooking.
Midwest Poultry Services temporarily stopped distributing the potentially contaminated eggs from its Texas farms, adding that no other products were part of the recall.
The company said they identified the possible contamination through ‘proactive environmental monitoring practices’ and ‘root cause analysis.’
Midwest Poultry Services recalled nearly 1.6 million dozen cartons of white and brown eggs after health officials warned they may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis (stock image)
Salmonella is most common in poultry, red meat, dairy products, eggs, fish, fruits and vegetables.
The bacterium strikes 1.3 million Americans every year. Most people recover within days, though the illness is responsible for more than 26,000 hospitalizations and 400 deaths a year.
Symptoms include bloody diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps that begin six hours to six days after initial infection, according to the CDC.
Unlike most bacteria, once consumed, some strains of salmonella can survive the stomach acid and travel into the intestines.
Once there, they burrow into the cells lining the organ, causing inflammation, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. The bacteria may also enter the bloodstream and travel to other organs.
People can catch salmonella after eating contaminated food, drinking fluids laced with the bacteria or touching the droppings of infected animals.
Humans can catch salmonella from other humans via touching surfaces that have been contaminated with the feces of a sick patient.
Symptoms are triggered within six hours to six days of infection, with patients told to call their doctor if diarrhea or vomiting lasts more than two days, if they notice blood in their urine or feces, develop a high fever or show signs of dehydration.
The FDA shared product photos of eggs that may be contaminated with salmonella
Over one million dozen cartons were recalled, including these Brookshire’s eggs
The eggs were produced and distributed from Texas farms between June 6 and July 3, 2026, with sell-by or best-by dates ranging from July 20 to August 17
Infections are treated using fluids to keep patients hydrated. In serious cases, individuals may also be prescribed antibiotics.
Officials are urging consumers who purchased recalled eggs not to eat them and to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.
This recall follows an outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul that killed one person and hospitalized dozens of people back in April.
The antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria was linked to backyard poultry flocks and led to 184 cases, 53 hospitalizations and one death across 31 states.
At the time, the CDC said there was ‘an unusually high number of people reporting contact with ducks’ for this massive outbreak.
Doctors treat the infection with antibiotics, but in cases where the bacteria are resistant, it severely limits options and raises the risk of serious complications.
Kentucky saw the highest number of cases with 22, followed by 21 in Michigan, 17 in Wisconsin, 15 in Ohio, and ten each in Idaho, Indiana and Maine. The death was reported in a patient from Washington state, which had nine cases.