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Check Your Eggs

If your fridge holds brown cage-free or organic eggs, it might be time for a closer look — and a trip to the trash can. 


More than a million cartons of eggs are being pulled from store shelves after a salmonella outbreak sickened dozens of people across the country.


Here is everything you need to know.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration

What Was Recalled?

August Egg Company, a supplier based in Hilmar, California, has recalled 1.7 million brown cage-free and certified organic eggs after an investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) linked them to a multistate salmonella outbreak.


According to a press release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), so far, at least 79 people across seven states have gotten sick, and 21 were hospitalized. Most of them reported eating eggs or egg-containing foods before falling ill.

vchal/istockphoto

Why Are These Eggs Being Recalled?

After inspecting the company’s facility, the FDA found salmonella in the environment — specifically, the same strain that turned up in sick patients. 


The affected eggs were sold between February 3 and May 15, with sell-by dates ranging from March 4 to June 19, depending on the location.


August Egg Company has since rerouted all egg production to a pasteurizing facility and agreed to recall all possibly affected products. The FDA says its investigation is still ongoing.

u/Key_Grape_2863 via Reddit.com

Where Were These Eggs Sold?

The eggs were sold at major retailers in California and Nevada, including Save Mart, FoodMaxx, Lucky, Smart & Final, Safeway, Raley’s, Food 4 Less, and Ralphs.


Walmart stores in Arizona, California, Washington, Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Wyoming also carried them. 


The FDA says distribution could’ve reached other states too — that part’s still under investigation.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration

Which Products Are on the List?

Every recalled carton has either the plant number P-6562 or CA-5330 and a Julian date between 032 and 126. They came in both fiber and plastic cartons, in a range of sizes and styles.


Some of the most widely sold products include:

  • Clover Large Brown Organic 12 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 070852010427
  • First Street Large Brown Cage Free Loose (1 case = 150 Eggs) Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 041512039638
  • Nulaid Medium Brown Cage Free 12 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 071230021042
  • Nulaid Jumbo Brown Cage Free 12 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 071230021011
  • O Organics Cage Free Large Brown – 6 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 079893401522
  • O Organics Large Brown – 12 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 079893401508
  • O Organics Large Brown – 18 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 079893401546
  • Marketside Large Cage Free Brown Organic 12 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 681131122771
  • Marketside Large Cage Free Brown Organic 18 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 681131122801
  • Marketside Large Brown Cage Free 12 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 681131122764
  • Marketside Large Brown Cage Free 18 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 681131122795
  • Raleys Large Brown Cage Free 12 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 046567033310
  • Raleys Large Brown Cage Free 18 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 046567040325
  • Raleys Organic Large Brown Organic 12 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 046567028798
  • Raleys Organic Large Brown Organic 18 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 046567040295
  • Simple Truth Medium Brown Cage Free 18 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 011110099327
  • Simple Truth Large Brown Cage Free 18 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 011110873743
  • Sun Harvest Cage Free Large Brown Organic 12 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 041512131950
  • Sun Harvest Cage Free Large Brown Organic 18 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 041512131950
  • Sunnyside Large Brown Cage Free 12 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 717544211747
  • Sunnyside Large Brown Cage Free 18 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 717544211754
  • Sunnyside Cage Free Large Brown Organic 12 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 717544201441
  • Sunnyside Cage Free Large Brown Organic 18 Eggs Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: 717544211761
  • Loose Small Brown Cage Free – 1 box = 6 flats (1 flat = 30 Eggs) Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: N/A
  • Loose Medium Brown Cage Free – 1 box = 6 flats (1 flat = 30 Eggs) Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: N/A
  • Loose Medium Brown Organic – 1 box = 6 flats (1 flat = 30 Eggs) Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: N/A
  • Loose Large Brown Organic – 1 box = 6 flats (1 flat = 30 Eggs) Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: N/A
  • Loose Jumbo Brown Cage Free – 1 box = 5 flats (1 flat = 20 Eggs) Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: NA
  • Loose Jumbo Brown Organic – 1 box = 5 flats (1 flat = 20 Eggs) Plant Number: P‑6562 or CA‑5330 Carton UPC: N/A
Instacart / Cheapism

What Should I Do If I Purchased the Recalled Eggs?

If you find one of the affected cartons in your fridge, don’t eat the eggs. Toss them or bring them back for a refund. If you’re unsure whether your eggs are part of the recall — say, if you ditched the original box — the FDA says it’s safest to throw them out.

ljubaphoto/istockphoto

What Is Salmonella, and Who’s Most at Risk?

Salmonella is one of the most common foodborne illnesses in the U.S., and it doesn’t take much to catch it. 


Symptoms usually kick in between 12 and 72 hours after eating contaminated food, and most people ride it out with a few miserable days of fever, cramps, and diarrhea.


That said, it can hit harder in young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.