Costco Egg Recall More Dangerous Than Previously Believed

At the end of November, Costco's 24-count organic, pasture-raised eggs, sold under the Kirkland Signature brand, were recalled due to a potential salmonella contamination. Now, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is sounding an even louder alarm on this recall, reclassifying it into the agency's highest risk category.

On Dec. 20, the FDA updated the recall to a "Class I" designation, which the agency defines as the "reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death."

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The recall applies to 10,800 retail units with the Julian code of 327, a universal product code (UPC) of 9661910680, and a use by date of Jan. 5, 2025. The eggs were distributed to 25 warehouse clubs across Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, starting on Nov. 22, 2024.

Kirkland Signature Organic Pasture Raised 24-Count Eggs label — Photo: U.S. FDA

According to a company announcement published by the FDA, supplier Handsome Brook Farms, "determined that eggs not intended for retail distribution were instead packaged and distributed in retail packaging." The statement went on to say that "additional supply chain controls and retraining are being put in place to prevent recurrence."

The FDA noted that consumers should not consume the eggs and return them to their local Costco for a full refund or throw them away. No illnesses have been reported as of the Nov. 27 recall announcement.

Salmonella is a bacteria that "can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections" in young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems, according to the FDA. Healthy individuals often experience symptoms like fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people usually experience symptoms between six hours to six days after being infected, and the symptoms can last four to seven days. That being said, the public health agency notes that some individuals don't develop symptoms for several weeks, while others could experience them for several weeks.

The organic, pasture-raised eggs aren't the only grocery items Costco has recently recalled. Earlier this month, the warehouse club announced a voluntary recall of 18-count packages of NuGo Dark Chocolate Pretzel and Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip protein bars because they may contain undeclared dairy. The products were sold at warehouse clubs in the Northeastern U.S.

The recalled lot numbers include B24235A, B24235B, B24236B, and C24236A, while the best by dates are Dec. 22, 2025, and Dec. 23, 2025.