Nearly 1.7 Million Dozens of Brown Eggs Recalled in 11 States Due to a Deadly Bacteria

America today is enshrouded by the threat of getting ravaged by pandemics more frequently than ever, something which keeps Bill Gates up at night, per CNBC. Thankfully, there are agencies like the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) that have taken on the onus of protecting the nation’s health. CDC’s PulseNet is a nationwide surveillance network of laboratories that detects patterns related to foodborne illnesses. In a recent survey, CDC officials were conducting a laboratory assessment when their system detected a pattern. Dozens of patients in nine states were sickened by a similar bacterium. A common link in all these patients is eggs.

Scientists at Pulsenet employed the Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) method to examine the DNA fingerprints of the bacteria that were detected in the bodies of sick individuals. Stunningly enough, samples indicated that in nearly all these cases, a very similar genetic code referred to the bacterium Salmonella. The team investigated clusters and sub-clusters of restaurants across seven states where these sick people had eaten food. Investigation revealed that these people ate eggs before getting sick, mainly the eggs supplied by August Egg Company. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a traceback investigation of the company’s egg processing facility and initiated a product recall on June 6, 2025.

The recalled products included 1.7 million cage-free and brown certified organic eggs from multiple brands supplied by August Egg Company, based in Hilmar, California. “This recall has been initiated due to possible Salmonella enteritidis contamination, which poses a health risk. With that in mind, we believe it is appropriate out of an abundance of caution to conduct this voluntary recall, as consumers may still have these eggs in their homes,” the company commented on FDA’s recall notice.

According to the FDA, Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in those people who have weakened immune systems, such as young children, frail or elderly people, and pregnant women. The infectious symptoms start from vomiting or abdominal pain, which can then progress to severe conditions like arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis. In this case, more than 79 people across the West and Midwest were found to be suffering from the accidental ingestion of this bacteria, the CDC reported. 21 people were hospitalized. There are no reports of death, though.

These egg products were distributed from February to May of this year across California and Nevada. The string of retail locations where customers shopped these eggs included Save Mart, FoodMaxx, Lucky, Smart & Final, Safeway, Raley's, Food 4 Less, and Ralphs. The eggs were also available on the shelves of Walmart outlets in cities such as California, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nebraska, Indiana, and Illinois. All the eggs featured “sell-by-dates” from March 4, 2025, to June 19, 2025. 

“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,” August Egg Company stated on FDA’s website. The company added that it is additionally conducting its own “stringent review to identify what measures can be established to prevent this situation from recurring.” The officials assured the customers that they would take all the measures to make sure that this situation doesn’t repeat itself in the future.

Meanwhile, healthcare officials from the FDA and CDC advised people to throw away the recalled egg products in their bins or return them for a refund. They also urged consumers to wash and disinfect any surfaces that came in contact with these eggs. So, while a scrambled egg platter or a chilli omelette might not be the ideal breakfast idea amidst this recall, you can try this egg-free, protein-rich brekkie that Kim Kardashian fuels up on every morning.