Millions of eggs are being sold at Walmart and several other grocery stores across nine states, reminiscent of a salmonella outbreak.
August Egg Company in Hilmar, California has issued a recall for 1.7 million cartons of brown cage-free and brown certified organic eggs over potential salmonella contamination, announced on Friday.
Health officials from the FDA and the CDC have linked these eggs—sold under various brand names—to an outbreak of salmonella that has sickened at least 79 individuals in seven states, with 21 requiring hospitalization, according to a CDC report.
Which eggs were recalled?
The affected eggs were distributed to states like Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Washington, and Wyoming from early to mid-May this year.
They have a sale-by date of June 4, 2025, and can be found in stores like Save Mart, FoodMaxx, Lucky, Smart & Final, Safeway, Raleys, Food 4 Less, and Ralphs. Walmart locations in all nine states sold eggs from March 4, 2025, to June 19, 2025.
According to the FDA, recalled eggs have a plant code of P-6562 or CA-5330, and Julian dates printed on cartons range from 32 to 126.
If you have purchased these eggs, it’s advised to return them for a full refund or dispose of them.
“When we identified this concern, we immediately diverted all eggs from the plants to pasteurization facilities to eliminate pathogens,” stated August Egg Company. “Our food safety team is rigorously reviewing measures to prevent this from happening again.”
Salmonella outbreaks are serious
Close to 80 confirmed cases of salmonella have been connected to the recalled eggs, though the real number of affected individuals could be higher. Many people may not seek treatment, leading to underreported cases.
Illnesses occurred between late February and mid-May, with patients ranging from 1 to 90 years old. In interviews, 27 out of 30 individuals reported consuming eggs before becoming ill.
Most of the 63 reported cases were in California, while Nevada and Washington each confirmed four; Arizona reported three; and Nebraska and New Jersey had two each. Kentucky recorded one case.
What is Salmonella?
Salmonella is caused by bacteria that lead to an estimated 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations, and around 420 deaths annually, as per the CDC.
Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, typically appearing 6 hours to 6 days after exposure. Most recover without treatment within 4-7 days.
However, it can be severe for young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. Diagnosis requires clinical testing of stool, body tissue, or fluids.
Another Salmonella outbreak
An additional salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers has sickened 45 people across 18 states, leading to numerous recalls of various products.
