Egg recalls have caused some of the most significant salmonella outbreaks in U.S. history. The 2010 Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms recall involved more than 550 million eggs and was linked to at least 1,939 confirmed salmonella illnesses. Shell eggs are regulated differently from most other foods, and understanding how to identify whether your specific carton is affected requires knowing the plant number and Julian date code printed on every carton. There are currently multiple food recalls tracked on Recall Tracker, including egg and egg product recalls.
This page explains how to decode the date codes on egg cartons, which agencies handle egg recalls, why eggs are recalled, and what to do if your carton is affected.
Step 1: Find the plant number on your carton.
All egg cartons sold in the United States are required to display a plant number. This is a three- or four-digit number preceded by a letter — such as P-1234 for USDA-inspected plants or a state-specific code. This number identifies the facility where the eggs were packed and is the primary identifier used in egg recall notices.
Step 2: Find the Julian date code.
Egg cartons display a Julian date — a three-digit number from 001 to 365 representing the day of the year the eggs were packed. For example, 045 represents February 14. Recall notices specify affected Julian date ranges at specific plant numbers. You can find the Julian date code stamped on the end of the carton, often on the same line as the plant number.
Step 3: Note the sell-by or expiration date.
This is also printed on the carton and may help you identify the approximate production period.
Step 4: Search Recall Tracker.
Go to Recall Tracker and search your egg brand. Cross-reference the plant number and Julian date range on your carton against the recall notice details.
Step 5: Set up brand alerts.
Visit brands and follow your egg producer to receive automatic notifications if future recalls are issued.
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulates shell eggs under the Egg Safety Final Rule, which requires large egg producers to follow specific prevention measures for Salmonella Enteritidis. FDA conducts inspections of large laying farms and has authority to initiate recalls of shell eggs. See the FDA agency page for more on FDA recall authority.
USDA (Agricultural Marketing Service and Food Safety and Inspection Service) regulates liquid, frozen, and dried egg products under the Egg Products Inspection Act. USDA-graded egg operations displaying the USDA shield are subject to USDA oversight. When egg products enter further processing — becoming liquid eggs, powdered eggs, or ingredients in other foods — USDA-FSIS oversight applies. See the USDA agency page for more.
In practice, most shell egg recalls originate under FDA oversight, while processed egg product recalls fall under USDA. Recall Tracker covers both.
Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) is uniquely adapted to infect laying hens and contaminate eggs internally — meaning the bacteria can be present inside an intact, uncracked egg before it is laid. This internal contamination pathway distinguishes eggs from most other foods, where contamination is typically a surface or processing issue.
Salmonella from eggs remains a leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States. The FDA's Egg Safety Rule requires large producers (with 50,000 or more laying hens) to implement biosecurity measures, rodent control, testing programs, and refrigeration requirements specifically to reduce SE contamination. Smaller producers are subject to less rigorous requirements.
Symptoms of salmonella infection include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, and vomiting beginning 6 hours to 6 days after eating contaminated food. Most healthy adults recover within a week, but young children, elderly individuals, and immunocompromised people face higher risk of severe complications including bacteremia (bloodstream infection).
Egg recalls have been triggered by FDA inspections that identified serious sanitary violations at laying facilities — including inadequate cleaning of equipment, inadequate pest and rodent control, non-compliance with refrigeration requirements, and failure to follow required testing protocols. When facility conditions pose a credible contamination risk, FDA may request a voluntary recall as a precautionary measure even before specific illness cases are confirmed.
Liquid, powdered, and frozen egg products used in food service and food manufacturing are subject to USDA oversight and have been recalled due to salmonella contamination. These recalls can have downstream effects on other food products that use the egg products as ingredients.
Although eggs themselves are a major allergen, processed egg products used as ingredients in other foods may trigger recalls when egg content is not properly declared on labels — particularly in products marketed to consumers with egg allergies.
Stop eating them immediately. Remove the affected carton from your refrigerator. Do not use the eggs for cooking, baking, or any other preparation.
Do not eat raw or lightly cooked preparations. If you suspect you may have eaten recalled eggs recently in raw or undercooked form — soft-scrambled eggs, runny fried eggs, hollandaise sauce, Caesar dressing, homemade mayonnaise, cookie dough — monitor closely for symptoms.
Check for symptoms. Salmonella symptoms typically appear within 12–72 hours of eating contaminated food. If you experience diarrhea, fever, or abdominal cramps, particularly if symptoms are severe or persistent, contact a healthcare provider.
Keep the carton. Save the carton with the plant number and Julian date code visible. This information is needed for refund claims and for any healthcare provider you consult.
Contact the manufacturer or retailer. Egg recalls typically result in full refunds at the point of purchase. Return the eggs in the original carton if possible, or contact the manufacturer directly using the recall notice information.
Dispose of the eggs safely. Discard the eggs in a sealed bag in a covered trash container. Do not crack and pour them down the drain, where they can contaminate surfaces.
The Julian date code is a three-digit number representing the day of the year the eggs were packed, from 001 (January 1) to 365 (December 31). For example, 032 is February 1, 090 is March 31, and 200 is July 19. A recall notice will specify the affected plant number and the Julian date range — for example, "Plant P-1234, Julian dates 014 through 047." Compare the Julian date on your carton to this range to determine if your carton is affected.
Cooking eggs to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) kills salmonella. However, the FDA still advises against eating recalled eggs because of the risk of cross-contamination to other foods, surfaces, and utensils in your kitchen when handling the raw eggs. It is also difficult to ensure every part of a large batch of scrambled eggs or baked good reaches the required temperature throughout.
Yes. Recall notices specify plant numbers and Julian date ranges regardless of sell-by dates. If your carton falls within the affected plant number and Julian date range, it is recalled — even if it is past the sell-by date. (In that case, you should have discarded the eggs for freshness reasons anyway.)
No. Salmonella Enteritidis can infect hens regardless of how they are raised. Organic, free-range, cage-free, and conventionally raised eggs have all been subject to recalls. Proper refrigeration and thorough cooking remain the most important safety practices for any eggs.
Search all food recalls to check your specific egg brand, and browse food brands to set up automatic alerts. You can also view recall statistics by category to understand trends in egg and poultry safety. As of {{CURRENT_DATE}}, Recall Tracker is actively monitoring recalls from FDA, USDA, and seven additional agencies.
Start with the carton, not the egg itself. Match the brand, plant code, Julian date, sell-by date, and UPC against the recall notice, or use RecallTracker’s barcode scanner at /scan for a faster check. If you do not have the carton anymore, search the producer or store label in /brands and compare the recall window before eating the eggs.
Most egg recalls happen because of possible or confirmed Salmonella contamination, either from environmental testing at an egg facility or from illnesses linked through traceback. One recent FDA-linked egg outbreak in June 2025 involved 134 reported illnesses, 38 hospitalizations, and 1 death tied to recalled shell eggs. RecallTracker’s /statistics page helps show how often eggs are recalled and which hazards appear most often.
No. Shell eggs are generally overseen by FDA for on-farm safety, while many processed egg products like liquid, frozen, or dried eggs fall under USDA inspection and are typically pasteurized. That means the recall notice may come from a different agency, so checking both brand results in /brands and current alerts in the app gives you better coverage.
Do not panic, but monitor for Salmonella symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, which often begin 6 hours to 6 days after exposure and can last 4 to 7 days. Higher-risk groups include children under 5, adults 65 and older, pregnant people, and anyone with a weakened immune system. Premium at /pricing is useful if you want faster alerts and saved product monitoring for repeat purchases like eggs.
Yes. The 2010 Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms recall involved more than 550 million eggs and was linked to at least 1,939 confirmed Salmonella illnesses, making it one of the largest U.S. food recalls on record. If you buy the same egg brands regularly, use /scan for carton checks and /statistics to see how often a brand or category has appeared in past recall events.