On June 6, 2025, the August Egg Company of Hilmar, California, issued a voluntary recall of approximately 1.7 million dozen brown cage-free and certified organic brown eggs amid a growing multistate Salmonella outbreak. The eggs, which were processed at the company27s California facility, have been linked to 79 reported cases of Salmonella Enteritidis infections across seven states, including California, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Nebraska, Kentucky, and New Jersey. Fortunately, no deaths have been reported, but 21 individuals have been hospitalized due to the illness.
The outbreak, which has affected people between February 24 and May 17, 2025, has prompted public health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and state agencies to investigate the source. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analyses revealed that the Salmonella strains found in sick individuals and in samples from August Egg Company27s processing plant are closely related genetically, confirming a direct connection.
State and local health officials interviewed 30 affected individuals, 90 percent of whom reported consuming eggs in the week prior to falling ill. Further, illness sub-clusters were identified at two separate restaurants where eggs were served, reinforcing the suspicion that contaminated eggs were the source of infection. Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data all point toward eggs distributed by August Egg Company as the likely culprit.
The FDA conducted an inspection of the August Egg Company27s processing facility and collected samples that tested positive for Salmonella. Upon discovering the contamination, the company immediately began diverting all eggs from the plant to an egg-breaking facility where they are pasteurized to kill any potential pathogens. Currently, August Egg Company has ceased selling fresh shell eggs while its internal food safety team conducts a stringent review to prevent future occurrences.
The recalled eggs were distributed to numerous retail outlets, including Save Mart, FoodMaxx, Lucky, Smart & Final, Safeway, Raleys, Food 4 Less, Ralphs, and Walmart stores across nine states. The distribution occurred in two main waves: from February 3 to May 15, 2025, for stores in California and Nevada, and from February 3 to May 6, 2025, for Walmart locations in California, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nebraska, Indiana, and Illinois.
Consumers are urged to check their refrigerators for eggs bearing the plant code numbers "P-6562" or "CA-5330" along with Julian Dates between 32 and 126 printed on the carton or package. These codes indicate the date the eggs were packaged and the processing plant. The recalled products include a wide variety of brands and packaging sizes, such as Clover Large Brown Organic 12 eggs, First Street Large Brown Cage Free Loose cases, Nulaid Medium and Jumbo Brown Cage Free 12 eggs, O Organics Cage Free Large Brown eggs, Marketside Large Cage Free Brown Organic eggs, Raleys Large Brown Cage Free eggs, Simple Truth Large Brown Cage Free eggs, Sun Harvest Cage Free Large Brown Organic eggs, Sunnyside Cage Free Large Brown Organic eggs, and several loose egg boxes.
Salmonella contamination is particularly concerning because the bacteria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially in infants, young children, older adults, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of Salmonella infection typically appear within 12 to 72 hours after consuming contaminated food and include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. While most healthy adults recover within four to seven days, some cases can lead to severe illness requiring hospitalization.
Public health officials emphasize that food contaminated with Salmonella does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled, making it difficult for consumers to detect. Therefore, anyone who has consumed eggs matching the recall information and experiences symptoms should seek medical attention promptly and inform healthcare providers of the potential exposure, as specialized testing is needed to diagnose salmonellosis.
August Egg Company has provided a customer service hotline at 1-800-710-2554, available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time, for questions and concerns. Consumers are advised to return any recalled eggs to the original place of purchase for a full refund.
This recall is part of a wider trend in 2025 of food product recalls related to contamination, damaged goods, and undeclared allergens. The FDA notes that eggs are among the nine major food allergens in the United States, underscoring the importance of vigilance in food safety.
As the investigation continues, the August Egg Company has committed to implementing all necessary corrective actions to ensure such an incident does not recur. Their internal review aims to identify and address any lapses in safety protocols at their processing plant.
For now, consumers are urged to heed the recall warnings seriously to avoid further illness and help contain the outbreak. With millions of eggs affected and distributed across multiple states, awareness and caution remain critical in protecting public health.
