Check your fridge: Nearly 19 million eggs are under the FDA’s most serious recall classification

The Food and Drug Administration has initiated the most serious recall of eggs in its history, affecting nearly 19 million eggs. This recall, classified as Class I, signifies a significant public health risk and is not considered an expansion or change to a previous voluntary warning. The eggs were produced at Midwest Poultry Services farms in Texas between June 6 and July 3, and carry sell-by or best-by dates from July 20 to August 17.

They were sold under various brands, including Kroger, Simple Truth, Brookshire’s, Country Morning, and Cal-Maine Sunups. The recall began in July after the eggs were linked to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 98 people and hospitalized 26. The FDA's assessment of the risk to the public is the primary factor in the highest-risk classification.

Consumers should be vigilant, as illnesses associated with the outbreak have been reported in 17 states, though the majority of cases are in Texas. The recall does not represent a change in the voluntary recall initiated by Midwest Poultry Services, which has already been completed. Retailers like Kroger have stopped stocking eggs from the implicated farms, and consumers are advised to not consume the recalled eggs, return them for a full refund, or discard them if no longer in their original packaging.