FDA upgrades recall of eggs linked to salmonella to 'serious' health risks or 'death'

The Food and Drug Administration in late September upgraded a previous egg recall alert to warn consumers of serious reactions and possibly death, if consumed.  

The recall was originally announced Sept. 6 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and was upgraded Sept. 30 to Class I, a product that "will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.” 

The original recall notification stated 65 people in nine states were infected with salmonella linked to eggs supplied by Milo's Poultry Farms LLC from May 23 to Aug. 10. No deaths were reported, but 24 people were hospitalized, according to the CDC.  

Milo's Poultry Farms is in Bonduel, Wisconsin, about 29 miles north of Green Bay. 

The small business grocery store has voluntarily recalled all eggs supplied by its farm, the FDA said. The recalled eggs were distributed to retailers and food service distributors in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan, the agency said. 

USA TODAY reached out to Milo's Poultry Farms and Tony's Fresh Market for comment. 

"The health and safety of our customers is our top priority. We are fully cooperating with the FDA on their investigation and have taken immediate action by removing all affected products related to this recall from our shelves," Marisa Kutansky, a spokesperson for Heritage Grocers Group, the owner of Tony's Fresh Market, previously told USA TODAY.

Here is what you need to know about the egg recall.    

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What eggs are being recalled?   

According to the FDA, all carton sizes with expiration dates of Oct. 12 and earlier for following brand eggs are being recalled:    

• Milo's Poultry Farms 
• M&E Family Farms 
• Tony's Fresh Market 

The alert also includes duck eggs brand Happy Quackers Farm sold in a 12-count carton, packaged by Milo's Poultry Farms.  

Which states have reported cases of salmonella?  

The investigation said these states had reported cases linked to the outbreak:  

• California 
• Colorado  
• Iowa  
• Illinois  
• Michigan  
• Minnesota  
• Utah  
• Virginia  
• Wisconsin  

How many people have gotten sick?  

Nine states have reported cases of salmonella linked to the egg recall. Cases in each state:

• California (2)
• Colorado (1)
• Iowa (2)
• Illinois (11)
• Michigan (2)
• Minnesota (3)
• Utah (1)
• Virginia (1)
• Wisconsin (42)

The CDC investigation broke down the demographics of the 65 cases reported for the egg recall. People who contracted salmonella were ages 2 to 88; 56% were female and 46% were male. The race majority for the 65 cases was white (92%), African-American or Black (5%), and Asian (3%).

What should you do if you have the recalled eggs?  

Consumers, restaurants and retailers should do the following if they have the recalled eggs:  

• Do not eat, sell or serve recalled chicken eggs produced by Milo's Poultry Farms and distributed to restaurants and retailers in Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.
• Carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers the eggs have touched. 
• Dispose of any eggs you believe may be linked to the recall.  
• Wash your hands, utensils and surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after handling raw eggs and food containing raw eggs.  
• Contact your health care provider as soon as possible if you believe you may have developed symptoms of a salmonella infection after eating eggs. 

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning

According to the CDC, common symptoms of salmonella include:

• Stomach cramps.
• Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees.
• Diarrhea for more than three days that will not improve.
• Bloody diarrhea.
• Vomiting and inability to keep liquids down.
• Signs of dehydration.

What is salmonella?

Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause people to experience diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Symptoms can appear between six hours and six days of infection and will last for four to seven days, the CDC said. 

Children younger than 5, the elderly and people who are immunosuppressed are more likely to have severe infections if they contract salmonella, the FDA said.  

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.