What We Know About the August Egg Company Salmonella Outbreak
CDC and FDA linked 134 Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses, 38 hospitalizations, and 1 death in California to brown shell eggs distributed by August Egg Company of Hilmar, California. Cases were reported across 10 states. CDC did not publish a per-state case count, but California, where the company is based and most of its distribution is concentrated, accounted for the largest share. The investigation closed on July 10, 2025.
How Investigators Linked August Egg Company
Of the people interviewed by CDC, 86 percent reported eating eggs in the week before getting sick, well above background rates for Salmonella patients. State and federal investigators traced eggs eaten by sick people back to August Egg Company. The FDA then inspected the company’s processing facility in Hilmar, California, and found the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis on environmental samples at the plant. Whole genome sequencing confirmed the match between bacteria from sick people and bacteria from the plant.
The Recall Covered Many Brand Names
On June 6, 2025, August Egg Company recalled brown cage-free and certified organic brown shell eggs distributed from February 3 to May 15, 2025. Because August Egg Company supplied eggs to many retailers and brand labels, the recall covered eggs sold under names including Clover, First Street, Nulaid, O Organics, Marketside, Raleys, Simple Truth, Sun Harvest, and Sunnyside, with sell-by dates from March 4 through June 19, 2025. The eggs were sold at major grocery chains including Save Mart, FoodMaxx, Lucky, Smart & Final, Safeway, Raleys, Food 4 Less, Ralphs, and Walmart.
Why This Outbreak Hit California Hardest
California accounted for the largest share of the 134 confirmed cases, reflecting that August Egg Company is a California producer with most of its distribution in the state. The one reported death was a California resident. CDC also noted that several out-of-state cases reported traveling to California or Nevada before becoming ill. The high hospitalization rate (38 of 112 people with available information, or roughly 34 percent) points to a particularly severe strain.
Your Legal Rights
If you ate recalled August Egg Company eggs and developed a laboratory-confirmed Salmonella Enteritidis infection, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, hospitalization costs, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages. Cases involving hospitalization or complications like reactive arthritis often carry significant value.
Ron Simon & Associates is a food poisoning law firm that has recovered over $850 million for victims nationwide. Our Salmonella lawyers focus exclusively on foodborne illness litigation and are reviewing claims from this outbreak. You pay our law firm nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Contact us for a free consultation at 1-888-335-4901.