FDA raises Costco egg recall to highest risk level over salmonella contamination

Federal food regulators issued a warning regarding recalling eggs sold at Costco due to possible salmonella contamination, upgrading the recall to the highest risk level.

Announced on November 27, the recall involved approximately 10,800 units of organic, pasture-raised, 24-count eggs under Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand, distributed by New York-based Handsome Brook Farms.

In a notice updated on Friday, the FDA elevated the recall to Class I, citing a “reasonable probability” that consuming the product could lead to serious health consequences or death, NBC News reported.

The Class I recall for Costco’s eggs indicates that the salmonella contamination is not minor or isolated but represents a significant threat to consumer safety. This designation is rare, signalling either extensive contamination or a credible risk of illness identified by regulators.

Last month, cucumbers shipped to the US and Canada, and organic eggs sold in 25 Costco stores in five southern US states, were also recalled for potential salmonella contamination.

The cucumber outbreak had sickened 68 people, including 18 who were hospitalized, in 19 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. No one has died. Produce grown in Sonora, Mexico, by Agrotato S.A. may be the culprit, the agency said.

Salmonella can cause symptoms that begin six hours to six days after ingesting the bacteria and include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Most people recover without treatment within a week, but young children, people older than 65 and those with weakened immune systems can become seriously ill.

Earlier this summer, a separate salmonella outbreak in cucumbers sickened 450 people in the U.S.

With inputs from agencies.