FDA raises Costco organic egg recall to highest risk level

A. Pawlowski
Updated ·2 min read
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A recall involving organic eggs sold at Costco has been upgraded to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s most serious classification due to the risk that consumers may be exposed to salmonella.

The FDA designated a recall that involves Kirkland Signature brand organic pasture raised 24-count eggs being bumped to Class I. The agency considers there to be a “reasonable probability” that exposure to the product will “cause serious adverse health consequences or death,” per its classification of Class I.

The recall was first initiated on Nov. 26 and then was upgraded to Class I on Dec. 20, per the FDA’s latest update.

Handsome Brook Farms is voluntarily recalling the eggs “after the company determined that eggs not intended for retail distribution were instead packaged and distributed in retail packaging,” according to the recall notice. “Additional supply chain controls and retraining are being put in place to prevent recurrence.”

Kirkland organic eggs sold at Costco recalled

The Kirkland brand eggs included in the recall were sold to 25 Costco stores starting in late November, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced.

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The recall covers plastic egg cartons with the UPC code 9661910680, the Julian code 327 and a “Use By Date” of Jan. 6, 2025, printed on the side.

recalled eggs (FDA)
Look for this code on the recalled egg cartons.

If you have the eggs, don’t eat them. Return them to a local Costco store for a full refund or throw them away.

The FDA noted in its initial recall announcement in November that no one had gotten sick so far from the affected eggs.

States affected by Costco organic eggs recall

About 10,800 “retail units” or plastic cartons affected by the Costco organic eggs recall were sent to stores in:

  • Alabama

  • Georgia

  • North Carolina

  • South Carolina

  • Tennessee

Salmonella symptoms

Salmonella is a leading cause of foodborne illness, hospitalizations, and deaths in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The bacteria can cause serious and potentially fatal infections in children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems, the FDA warns. Symptoms in healthy people include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

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This notice follows a separate massive egg recall in September and October, also over salmonella contamination concerns, involving another poultry farm.

It's also the latest in a series of recent recalls in the U.S., including carrots, cucumbers, ground beef and more.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com