The FDA upgraded a Midwest Poultry Services egg recall to Class I after investigators linked the product to a multistate salmonella outbreak.
The agency said a Class I recall means there is a reasonable probability that exposure could cause serious adverse health consequences or death, the FDA noted.
Midwest Poultry Services initially issued the recall for about 1.6 million dozen white shell and brown cage free eggs produced at a Texas facility, ABC News reported.
The eggs were distributed to Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana, to Brookshire Grocery locations across six states, and to foodservice customers in three states.
Consumers can identify affected cartons by production codes P-1950 or 0840962 and by a Julian code between 157 and 184 printed on the side of the carton.
Public reporting shows the multistate outbreak has sickened 98 people across 17 states and led to 26 hospitalizations, according to the New York Post.
The CDC reported that most ill people with available information reported eating eggs, strengthening the epidemiological link between the recalled product and illness.
Risks Actions And Broader Food Safety Context
The CDC recommends consumers discard or return any recalled eggs and wash surfaces that may have contacted them with hot soapy water or a dishwasher.
The agency described salmonella symptoms as diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, with most people recovering without treatment within several days.
The CDC also warned that children under five, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems face higher risk of severe illness that can require hospitalization.
Midwest Poultry Services said it initiated the recall as a precaution and began diverting affected eggs to a breaking plant where they would be pasteurized to kill foodborne pathogens.
Health officials are investigating other ongoing outbreaks, including a salmonella outbreak tied to jalapeños that sickened nearly 350 people, and a cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms that reached at least 47 states.
The CDC noted that salmonella causes approximately 1.35 million infections in the United States annually, with contaminated food as the primary source.
