LOS ANGELES, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. food safety regulators have upgraded a recall of about 19 million eggs to its highest risk category over potential salmonella contamination.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday classified the recall that started last month as Class I, its highest recall classification. The agency said the designation is used when there is a reasonable probability that exposure to a recalled product could cause "serious adverse health consequences or death."
Midwest Poultry Services initiated the voluntary recall on July 22 after samples collected at its farms in Texas tested positive for salmonella. The recall covers some 1.6 million cartons of eggs, or about 19.1 million individual eggs, according to the FDA.
The recalled eggs were produced between June 6 and July 3, and were available to consumers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, it said.
It noted that Midwest Poultry Services was not linked to all illnesses in the outbreak and that the investigation remains ongoing.
Nearly 100 salmonella cases were reported in 17 states from Nov. 21, 2025, through June 30, 2026, the FDA said last month. There had been 26 hospitalizations as of July 24, with no deaths reported, it said. ■