Salmonella Egg Recall Is Now Class I, the FDA’s Highest Risk Level

An egg recall linked to a salmonella outbreak was upgraded to the highest possible risk level by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday.Nearly 1.6 million dozen eggs were labeled “Class I,” which the agency defines as “a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”Symptoms of salmonella infection include “fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain,” according to the FDA.“Illness usually occurs within 12 to 72 hours after eating food that is contaminated with Salmonella, and the symptoms usually last four to seven days,” its website said, noting that children under 5, the elderly, and the immunocompromised were more likely to have severe reactions.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that eggs contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis had infected at least 98 people across 17 states. No deaths have been reported, but 26 people have been hospitalized.What to know about the salmonella egg recall and how to stay safeThe FDA’s upgraded risk classification comes three weeks after Midwest Poultry Se...