FDA upgrades salmonella egg recall to highest risk level as dozens fall ill

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday elevated a recall of more than 1.5 million cartons of eggs to Class I, the agency’s highest risk category, indicating a reasonable probability of serious health consequences. The upgrade follows reports that 97 people in 17 states have contracted salmonella, and 26 of them have been hospitalized, according to an FDA update released on July 24. No deaths have been reported.

The voluntary recall was initiated by Midwest Poultry Services and covers 1,589,577 dozen cartons of white-shell and brown cage-free eggs produced at two Texas farms. The eggs were sold under several store brands, including Kroger, Brookshire's, Country Morning, Simple Truth and Sunups, and were distributed to retail and food-service customers in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Mississippi, with the possibility of further spread to additional states.

The majority of reported illnesses, 73 cases, occurred in Texas, while isolated cases were identified in California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, New York and West Virginia. The FDA noted that distribution has been confirmed for the listed states but could extend beyond them.

"The recall has been upgraded to Class I, which signifies a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that exposure to the product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death," the agency said.

The recall follows routine environmental testing that detected the contamination. The agency continues to monitor the situation as other food-borne illness outbreaks are being investigated.