Eggs in FDA food recalls

903 of the 29,386 FDA food recall records published since 2012 involve eggs, which is 3.1% of every food recall the agency has reported. 403 are Class I, and the median one ran 6 months. Data last updated 2 September 2026.

Records of 29,386

903

Share of all recalls

3.1%

Class I of 903

403

Reported between

2012 to 2026

Who got ill

The CDC recorded 50 foodborne outbreaks attributed to eggs between 2012 and 2023, with 705 reported illnesses, 103 hospitalisations and 4 deaths. That is 0.6% of the 9,038 foodborne outbreaks in the dataset, and 5.7 in every thousand of those reported ill died.

The cause recorded most often was Salmonella enterica, in 41 of the 45 outbreaks where a cause was recorded at all.

The setting recorded most often was a sit-down restaurant, in 27 of the 47 where a setting was named.

What is different about these records

The hazard that separates Eggs from the national picture is undeclared allergens: 46.5% of these records name it, against 26.5% of all FDA food recalls.

These records overlap heavily with milk and dairy: 50.7% of them also fall under that category, against 16.9% across the corpus. A record can carry more than one category.

A recall involving eggs stays open a median of 168 days between the report and termination, against 215 days for the corpus as a whole. Termination follows the firm accounting for every unit of the affected lot.

These recalls stay local: 11% state nationwide distribution, against 20.7% across the corpus.

Why eggs recalls the way it does

Shell eggs have their own Salmonella Enteritidis prevention regulation at 21 CFR part 118, which requires testing and refrigeration on farms above a size threshold, and they are separately one of the nine major allergens.

Measured across these 903 records, undeclared allergens is the most frequent reason at 420, then listeria monocytogenes at 221. A record can name more than one hazard, so these overlap and do not sum to 903.

What goes wrong

• Undeclared allergens420
• Listeria monocytogenes221
• Salmonella66
• Foreign material26
• Spoilage and mould5
• Process deviation5
• E. coli3
• Chemical contamination1

The regulation that governs it

Shell eggs have a Salmonella Enteritidis rule of their own, 21 CFR part 118, which applies to producers with 3,000 or more laying hens whose eggs are not all treated. §118.4 requires a written SE prevention plan covering pullets, biosecurity, rodents and pests, and cleaning and disinfection, and it requires eggs to be held and transported at 45 °F or below; §118.5 requires environmental testing of every poultry house and §118.6 egg testing when a house is positive. §115.50 separately requires refrigeration at 45 °F for eggs held for retail. Egg products, meaning liquid, frozen and dried egg, are regulated by USDA FSIS. Undeclared egg in another food, the other half of this category, is a part 101 labelling failure.

These are the parts of 21 CFR that bear on eggs, reproduced in full on this site because title 21 is United States public domain.

• 21 CFR Part 11811Production, Storage, and Transportation of Shell Eggs
• 21 CFR Part 11761Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food
• 21 CFR Part 10150Food Labeling

By year

Counts are by the date the FDA reported the enforcement action. That date runs behind the date a firm started a recall, so the most recent year is always partial.

Firms with the most records

A firm appears here because it reported recalls, which is what a working recall procedure produces. A high count frequently reflects a single event split across many product codes rather than many separate failures.

• FRESH IDEATION FOOD GROUP, LLC dba Fresh Creative Cuisine51
• Nutrition Resource Services, Inc.36
• Garden-Fresh Foods, Inc.30
• Almark Foods, LLC29
• Epic Baking21
• Giant Eagle20
• NEW GRAINS GLUTEN FREE BAKERY16
• Reser's Fine Foods, Inc.14
• Chuckanut Bay Foods LLC14
• Pecan Shed14
• Flywheel's Pies14
• C & S Wholesale Grocers, Inc.13

Where the recalling firms are

The state is the location of the recalling firm, not where the product was sold. Distribution is recorded separately on each record.

• California134
• Washington96
• Pennsylvania89
• Oregon64
• Maryland54
• Georgia54
• Wisconsin41
• New York41
• Ohio41
• North Carolina29
• Arkansas24
• Michigan23

Most recently reported

Questions

How many FDA recalls involve eggs?

903 of the 29,386 FDA food recall records published since 2012 involve eggs, which is 3.1% of all of them. 403 are Class I.

Why does eggs get recalled?

Shell eggs have their own Salmonella Enteritidis prevention regulation at 21 CFR part 118, which requires testing and refrigeration on farms above a size threshold, and they are separately one of the nine major allergens.

What is the most common reason for a eggs recall?

Undeclared allergens appears in 420 of the 903 records in this category, followed by listeria monocytogenes with 221. A single recall can name more than one hazard, so these counts overlap.

How long does a eggs recall take?

The median recall in this category ran 6 months from the date the firm initiated it to the date the FDA terminated it. Termination means the agency judged that all reasonable effort had been made under 21 CFR 7.55; it does not mean no product remained in circulation.

All FDA food recall data