Urgent Health Alert: Contaminated Eggs Pose Serious Risk
Millions of eggs voluntarily recalled by California-based August Egg Company due to potential Salmonella contamination have now received the most severe risk classification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The FDA on July 2 elevated the recall to a Class I risk, indicating a “reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”
August Egg Company initially issued the voluntary recall on June 6 for over 20 million eggs after reports surfaced of numerous Salmonella infections across multiple states.
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Salmonella bacteria can cause salmonellosis, a gastrointestinal illness characterized by diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, typically developing 12 to 72 hours after infection and lasting four to seven days. While most individuals recover, severe infections can lead to high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, rashes, and blood in urine. The FDA cautions that, in rare instances, Salmonella infections can be fatal, with approximately 450 deaths attributed to salmonellosis annually.
Affected Products and Distribution
The recall impacts 20,400,000, or 1.7 million dozen, brown cage-free and brown certified organic eggs. These eggs were distributed between February 3 and May 15, 2025, to retailers in California and Nevada, including Save Mart, Food Maxx, Lucky, Smart & Final, Safeway, Raleys, Food 4 Less, and Ralphs. Their sell-by dates ranged from March 4 to June 4.
Additionally, eggs were distributed to Walmart locations in California, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nebraska, Indiana, and Illinois between February 3 and May 6, 2025.
Consumers can identify the recalled products by plant code numbers P-6562 or CA5330, with Julian Dates between 32 and 126, found on the fiber or plastic cartons.
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The extensive list of impacted products includes various brands and sizes:
- Clover Organic Large Brown 12 eggs
- First Street Cage Free Large Brown Loose 1 case 150 eggs
- Nulaid Medium Brown Cage Free 12 eggs
- Nulaid Jumbo Brown Cage Free 12 eggs
- O Organics Cage Free Large Brown 6 eggs, 12 eggs, and 18 eggs
- Marketside Organic Large Cage Free Brown 12 eggs and 18 eggs
- Marketside Large Cage Free Brown 12 eggs and 18 eggs
- Raley’s Large Cage Free Brown 12 eggs and 18 eggs
- Raley’s Organic Large Cage Free Brown 12 eggs and 18 eggs
- Simple Truth Medium Brown Cage Free 18 eggs
- Simple Truth Large Brown Cage Free 18 eggs
- Sun Harvest Organic Cage Free Large Brown 12 eggs and 18 eggs
- Sunnyside Large Brown Cage Free 12 eggs and 18 eggs
- Sunnyside Organic Cage Free Large Brown 12 eggs and 18 eggs
- Various “Loose” brown cage-free and organic eggs in different sizes (Small, Medium, Large, Jumbo)
Illness Reports
As of June 5, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had identified 79 Salmonella infections across seven states linked to this outbreak. Twenty-one hospitalizations were reported, but fortunately, no deaths have occurred.
Illness onset dates ranged from February 24 to May 17, 2025. Of the 30 cases with available information, 27 reported exposure to eggs prior to becoming ill, reinforcing the link to the recalled products.
Consumers who have purchased any of the recalled eggs are urged not to consume them and to discard them immediately or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Individuals experiencing symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention.
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