PSA: Check Your Eggs Now: Major Salmonella Recall — Is America Better Yet?

If you have eggs in your refrigerator, check the carton before you use them. More than 1.5 million dozen eggs, roughly 19 million individual eggs, have been recalled because they may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis. The recall involves eggs produced by Midwest Poultry Services, L.P. at farms in Texas. Federal health officials say an outbreak linked in part to the recalled eggs has sickened 98 people in 17 states. At least 26 people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported in this egg outbreak. The recall has been classified as Class I,* the FDA's most serious recall category. FDA defines Class I as a situation in which exposure to a recalled product carries a reasonable probability of serious health consequences or death. Check the carton The recalled eggs were sold under these names: - Kroger - Simple Truth - Brookshire's - Country Morning - Cal-Maine Sunups Look for either of these identifying codes: P-1950 0840962 The carton must also have a Julian date from 157 through 184. Affected cartons have sell-by or best-by dates ranging from July 20 through August 17, 2026. The eggs were confirmed distributed in: - Arkansas - Louisiana - Mississippi - New Mexico - Oklahoma - Texas FDA cautions that distribution could have extended beyond those states. Do not eat recalled eggs If your carton matches the recall, do not eat the eggs. FDA recommends throwing them away or returning them to the store where they were purchased. If you removed eggs from their original carton and cannot determine whether they are recalled, FDA recommends throwing them away. Wash and sanitize containers, refrigerator shelves and other surfaces that may have touched recalled eggs. Wash your hands, utensils and surfaces with hot, soapy water after handling raw eggs. Watch for symptoms Salmonella commonly causes: - Diarrhea - Fever - Stomach cramps Some people can become seriously ill. Children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems face greater risk of severe illness. CDC says to contact a healthcare provider promptly for symptoms including diarrhea accompanied by a fever above 102°F, bloody diarrhea, diarrhea lasting more than two days without improvement, vomiting severe enough that liquids cannot be kept down, or signs of dehydration. The outbreak investigation is not finished Federal investigators found that samples taken at Midwest Poultry farms contained Salmonella genetically matching the outbreak strain. However, FDA says Midwest Poultry does not account for every illness identified in the outbreak. Investigators are continuing to look for other possible sources. That distinction matters. The eggs are a confirmed public-health concern. They should not be eaten. But investigators have not yet explained every case. A wider food-safety concern This recall comes during an unusually serious year for reported foodborne disease. CDC reported 13,895 laboratory-confirmed domestically acquired cases of cyclosporiasis between May 1 and August 10, 2026. During the comparable 2025 season, 1,180 cases were reported. CDC has reported 740 hospitalizations and two deaths among the 2026 domestic Cyclospora cases and says thousands more reports still require investigation. A major portion of that increase is connected to a separate outbreak involving recalled iceberg lettuce. Those figures demonstrate an extraordinary increase in Cyclospora infections. They should not be described as proof that every type of foodborne illness has increased by the same percentage. Questions also remain about whether federal staffing and funding changes have affected the nation's ability to prevent, detect and investigate foodborne disease. The Trump administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have overseen major reductions and restructuring across HHS, FDA and CDC. Those changes deserve scrutiny. At this point, however, the available evidence does not establish that those changes caused this Salmonella outbreak or the broader rise in reported illness. For now, the most important message is much simpler: Check your refrigerator. Check the carton. If the eggs match the recall, do not eat them. Sources U.S. Food and Drug Administration Midwest Poultry Services, L.P. recall announcement, July 22, 2026. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella: Eggs, July 2026. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Salmonella outbreak linked to shell eggs, July 24, 2026. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Salmonella symptoms and guidance on when to seek medical care. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cyclosporiasis surveillance, updated August 11, 2026. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Recall classifications and definitions. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HHS restructuring announcement and agency workforce fact sheet. I write for you, — Roberto isamericabetteryet.org