At least 1.7 million eggs have been recalled across nine U.S. states amid a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 79 people and hospitalized 21, federal health officials said. The eggs, distributed by the August Egg Company, are believed to be the source of a multi-state contamination event now under investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The affected products include brown cage-free and brown certified organic eggs distributed between February and May to retail outlets including Walmart, Safeway, FoodMaxx, Save Mart, Lucky, Smart & Final, Raley's, Food 4 Less, and Ralphs. The impacted states are California, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nebraska, Illinois, and Indiana.
FDA officials said the eggs may be contaminated with salmonella, a bacteria that can cause serious illness, especially in young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. Cartons were marked with plant codes P-6562 or CA5330 and had sell-by dates ranging from March 4 to June 19.
"We believe it is appropriate out of an abundance of caution to conduct this voluntary recall," the August Egg Company said in a statement. "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 pasteurizes the eggs and kills any pathogens."
The CDC has confirmed that cases of salmonella linked to the outbreak have been reported in seven of the nine states. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, dehydration, and stomach cramps, with most people recovering within a week. However, the illness can be severe enough to require hospitalization in high-risk groups.
The agency urged consumers to discard the recalled eggs or return them to the point of purchase for a refund. Additionally, all surfaces that came into contact with the eggs should be washed and disinfected. Consumers who experience symptoms are encouraged to contact a healthcare provider.
The August Egg Company stated that its internal food safety team is "conducting its own stringent review to identify what measures can be established to prevent this situation from recurring." It added, "We are committed to addressing this matter fully and to implementing all necessary corrective actions."
The company has not sold any fresh eggs in over 30 days and has diverted all current production to egg-breaking plants for pasteurization. This marks the latest in a series of salmonella-related recalls, following similar outbreaks tied to tomatoes and cucumbers in recent months.
