In December 2024 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified a recall of certain eggs sold at Costco as Class I, its most serious category. The FDA uses the classification when there is a reasonable probability that a product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.
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The eggs were Kirkland Signature Organic Pasture Raised 24-count eggs, supplied by Handsome Brook Farms. About 10,800 retail units were sent to 25 Costco stores in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, beginning November 22, 2024. The recall was first issued on November 27, and the FDA upgraded it to Class I on December 20.
Which eggs were affected
The affected cartons have UPC 9661910680, Julian code 327 and a use-by date of January 5, 2025. That date has now passed. Anyone who still has these cartons should not eat them, and can return them to Costco for a full refund or dispose of them.
Why the risk matters
Salmonella infection can cause diarrhoea, fever, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting, usually within days. Children under five, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems can become seriously ill and may need hospital treatment, according to the CDC as reported by ABC News.
Illnesses
The FDA had not published updates on whether any illnesses were linked to the recall at the time of the reporting we reviewed. Anyone who ate these eggs and has symptoms should contact a doctor.
Editor’s note: an earlier version of this article named Mississippi as one of the affected states, which was incorrect, and said that no illnesses had been reported, which the sources do not confirm. Both points have been corrected.
Sources
- NPR, Costco egg recall for salmonella receives FDA’s most severe designation (27 December 2024): https://www.npr.org/2024/12/27/nx-s1-5241071/fda-costco-egg-recall-notice-severe
- ABC News, FDA escalates recall of Costco eggs to include risks of ‘severe illness or death’ (25 December 2024): https://thepulseofnh.com/?p=150802
- HealthDay, FDA elevates Costco egg recall to Class 1 over Salmonella risk (26 December 2024): https://www.drugs.com/news/fda-elevates-costco-egg-recall-class-1-over-salmonella-risk-123041.html
- KPBS, Costco egg recall for salmonella receives FDA’s most severe designation (27 December 2024): https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2024/12/27/costco-egg-recall-for-salmonella-receives-fdas-most-severe-designation