A massive egg recall affecting nearly 1.6m dozen eggs has been elevated to the US Food and Drug Administration’s highest-risk warning as officials investigate a salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 100 people.

The FDA on 12 August reclassified the recall of nearly 1.6m dozen white and brown cage-free eggs over concerns they may be contaminated with salmonella.

The recall is now designated class I, which the FDA defines as “a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death”.

At least 98 people across 17 states have been sickened in the outbreak linked to the recalled eggs as of 24 July, with 26 people hospitalized. Illnesses were reported between 21 November 2025 and 30 June 2026.

The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were aware of 26 hospitalizations connected to the outbreak, but no deaths have been reported.

Midwest Poultry Services identified the issue through “proactive environmental monitoring practices and root cause analysis”, according to an FDA recall report. As of 22 July, the company was no longer distributing fresh eggs from its Texas farms.

But the recalled eggs remain a concern because their best-by and sell-by dates extend through 17 August.

The eggs were produced in Texas and shipped to locations across the state as well as throughout the US south and south-west, including food service retail outlets in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

The affected eggs were available at Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana and Brookshire Grocery locations in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Mississippi – as well as “other smaller retail outlets,” according to the initial recall alert.

The specific egg products covered by the recall are listed in the enforcement report. Midwest Poultry Services previously warned consumers not to eat the recalled eggs and instead return them to the place of purchase for a refund.

The recall reclassification comes as the Trump administration confronts a string of health crises involving food safety in the US.

The US has been experiencing one of the largest recorded foodborne illness outbreaks in its history, with confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis linked to lettuce surpassing 13,000. Another salmonella outbreak involving jalapeños has also prompted a recall of Taylor Farms products sold in 26 states.

On Monday, the FDA announced changes to its rules governing how food manufacturers notify the agency about ingredients brought to market. While the change would close a regulatory loophole, it falls short of the administration’s promises to dramatically overhaul food regulations.