Deadly Bacteria Found At California Facility Triggers 20 Million Egg Recall
Food recalls aren’t exactly rare, but when they involve something as widely used as eggs, the scale can be massive. That’s the case with a recent Salmonella outbreak that’s already sent dozens of people to the hospital and prompted a recall of over 20 million eggs sold across the United States.
On June 6, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that eggs distributed by August Egg Company were the likely source of a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak. Their investigation traced the infections back to eggs shipped to stores in multiple states.
As of June 5, a total of 79 people had been infected, with illnesses reported between late February and mid-May. Sixty-one of those infected required hospitalization, and six of them had recently been in either California or Nevada.
While these are the confirmed numbers, the CDC suspects the actual case count could be much higher. Many people who get Salmonella recover at home without ever going to a doctor, which means they’re never tested or officially counted.
That’s why health officials are warning that the outbreak may extend beyond the seven states where cases have already been confirmed. On the same day the CDC shared its findings, August Egg Company issued a voluntary recall affecting 1.7 million dozen eggs, or about 20.4 million in total.
Check eggs for codes P-6562 or CA5330, recalled across multiple states under various brands.
These included brown cage-free and brown certified organic eggs sold in major grocery chains across several states. If you’ve bought eggs this spring from Walmart, Safeway, Ralphs, Raley’s, Save Mart, FoodMaxx, Lucky, Smart & Final, or Food 4 Less, it’s worth checking your fridge.
The affected eggs were distributed between early February and mid-May and carried sell-by dates ranging from March 4 to June 19, 2025. They were sold in California, Nevada, Washington, Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nebraska, Indiana, and Illinois. Every recalled carton is marked with either plant code P-6562 or CA5330.
These eggs were also sold under several brand names that shoppers might recognize. Among them are Clover Organic, First Street, Nulaid, O Organics, Marketside, Raley’s, Simple Truth, Sun Harvest, and Sunnyside.
UnsplashSalmonella infections can hit hard. Healthy adults may experience fever, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea, sometimes with blood. In more serious cases, especially among older adults, infants, and those with compromised immune systems, the infection can spread beyond the digestive system.
It can reach the bloodstream and cause life-threatening complications, including infected arteries or inflammation of the heart.
August Egg Company found the issue internally, sent eggs for pasteurization, and is tightening safety measures.
In their official statement, August Egg Company said the problem was detected during their internal monitoring process. They acted quickly to divert eggs from the plant to a pasteurization facility, which eliminates harmful bacteria.
“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,” the company said in the recall notice.The company also said it is reviewing safety procedures and plans to implement stricter measures to help prevent this type of situation in the future.
“August Egg Company’s internal food safety team is also conducting its own stringent review to identify what measures can be established to prevent this situation from recurring. We are committed to addressing this matter fully and to implementing all necessary corrective actions to ensure this does not happen again.”
UnsplashAnyone who has purchased the recalled eggs is urged not to eat them and instead return them to the store for a full refund. No receipt is needed.
Outbreaks like this highlight the importance of staying alert to product recalls and regularly checking what's in your fridge. Here, a simple glance at the label could be the difference between an ordinary breakfast and a hospital visit.
