Federal health officials are investigating a multistate Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak linked to shell eggs recalled by Midwest Poultry Services, L.P. As of July 24, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 98 confirmed illnesses in 17 states, 26 hospitalizations and no deaths. On July 22, 2026, the company recalled 1,589,577 dozen, or more than 19,000,000 individual, eggs white shell eggs and brown cage free shell eggs produced in Texas. Pritzker Hageman food safety attorneys are following the investigation and have published their own report on the Midwest Poultry Services egg outbreak.
If you have eggs at home, the first thing to do is check the code stamped on the side of the carton. The recall is limited to specific plant and date codes, which are listed below.
How big is the shell egg Salmonella outbreak?
As of July 24, 2026, CDC has counted 98 people infected with the outbreak strain across 17 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia. Twenty-six of the 72 patients with available information were hospitalized, which is 36 percent. No deaths have been reported.
Illnesses began on dates ranging from November 21, 2025 through June 30, 2026. Patients range in age from under one year old to 81, with a median age of 48. Of the 44 people interviewed by state and local health officials, 40 (91 percent) reported eating shell eggs in the week before they got sick. You can read the full CDC investigation update for the current case counts.
CDC cautions that the true number of people sickened is likely higher than the number reported, because many people recover without seeing a doctor and are never tested. It also usually takes three to four weeks to confirm that a newly reported illness belongs to an outbreak, so recent cases may not be counted yet. Food Poisoning Bulletin is tracking the case count in its coverage of the Midwest Poultry Services outbreak, and Pritzker Hageman maintains an archive of Salmonella outbreak news as investigations develop.
Which eggs were recalled?
Midwest Poultry Services, L.P. voluntarily recalled 1,589,577 dozen white shell eggs and brown cage free shell eggs on July 22, 2026. The eggs were produced and distributed from farms in Texas between June 6, 2026 and July 3, 2026. According to the recall notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the recalled eggs have these identifiers:
- Carton codes P-1950 or 0840962, with a Julian date between 157 and 184, printed in date-coding ink on the left or right side of the carton. Only cartons with those codes are recalled.
- Sell by or best by dates between July 20, 2026 and August 17, 2026.
- Sold in bulk and in retail packs of 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36 and 60 eggs.
- Sold under the Country Morning, Cal-Maine Sunups, Brookshire’s, Simple Truth and Kroger brand names.
The eggs were shipped to foodservice and retail customers in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. FDA says they reached consumers at Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana, at Brookshire Grocery stores, and at smaller retail and foodservice outlets. Distribution has been confirmed in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, though FDA notes the eggs could have traveled further.
FDA tells consumers to check their refrigerators and throw the recalled eggs away or return them to the store for a refund. If you moved eggs out of the original carton and cannot tell whether they are part of the recall, throw them out. Wash and sanitize any surfaces or containers the eggs touched.
The recall may not explain every illness
Two details are worth keeping in mind while the investigation continues. FDA states plainly that Midwest Poultry Services “does not account for all the illnesses in this outbreak” and that additional investigation is ongoing to determine whether there are other sources. The recalled eggs were also distributed starting June 6, 2026, while the earliest illness in the outbreak began on November 21, 2025, so the recalled lots cannot explain the older cases.
Investigators reached the company through traceback. FDA followed where sick people reported buying or eating eggs and identified Midwest Poultry Services as a common source for some cases. The company then collected samples at its Texas farms, those samples tested positive for Salmonella, and whole genome sequencing by a third-party lab matched them to the outbreak strain. The firm shared those results with FDA on July 21, 2026, and announced the recall the next day. FDA is updating its outbreak investigation advisory as it learns more.
Salmonella symptoms to watch for
Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Symptoms usually start six hours to six days after exposure and last four to seven days. Children under five, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a severe illness that requires medical care or hospitalization. CDC’s page on Salmonella signs and symptoms also notes that a small number of people go on to develop reactive arthritis, a joint pain that can last months or years.
CDC says to call a healthcare provider right away if you have diarrhea with a fever above 102 degrees, diarrhea lasting more than two days without improving, bloody diarrhea, vomiting so severe you cannot keep liquids down, or signs of dehydration such as little or no urination, a dry mouth and throat, or dizziness when standing up.
One finding matters for treatment. CDC reports that whole genome sequencing of samples from all 98 patients predicted nonsusceptibility to ciprofloxacin and resistance to nalidixic acid. Most people recover without antibiotics, but for the patients who do need them, some of the usual first choices may not work well in this outbreak. If you are being treated, it is worth making sure your doctor knows the illness may be connected to this outbreak.
How to protect your family
- Check egg cartons for the recalled codes before using them, and do not eat, sell or serve recalled eggs.
- Wash hands, utensils and surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after handling raw eggs and foods that contain them.
- Clean and sanitize refrigerator shelves, containers and countertops that recalled cartons may have touched.
- Keep a note of where and when you bought the eggs. A receipt, a loyalty card record or a photo of the carton code can matter later, both for public health investigators and for anyone who becomes seriously ill.
Do you have a case?
When a laboratory-confirmed infection can be traced to a specific food, the people who were seriously harmed by it may have a claim against the companies that produced or sold it. That is a question for an experienced food safety lawyer, and it is worth asking when an illness led to hospitalization, a long recovery, complications such as a bloodstream infection or reactive arthritis, or the death of a family member.
Pritzker Hageman’s Bad Bug Law Team represents people sickened in foodborne illness outbreaks nationwide. Their Salmonella attorneys explain what a claim involves, and they answer the practical questions people ask first, including whether you can sue for food poisoning and the reasons people file a Salmonella lawsuit.
You can also read more from Pritzker Hageman’s food poisoning attorneys about how a food poisoning lawsuit works, and follow their ongoing food poisoning news coverage for updates as this investigation continues.
