The Food and Drug Administration has upgraded the alert level of Costco ’s recent egg recall over fears of salmonella .
The FDA revealed on Monday that the recall is now “ Class I,” meaning this is 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.”
This is the most serious risk level that an FDA recall can be, with the classification change coming one month after 10,800 retail units of organic eggs were recalled from Costcos across the southern United States.
According to the FDA , the eggs were in 24-count cartons with the Kirkland Signature branding. The product was recalled by Handsome Brook Farms in New York because “these eggs have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella .”
Salmonella is a type of bacteria that’s found in the intestines of animals and humans and can cause food poisoning . The highest-risk foods tend to be animal products, such as raw meat, unpasteurized milk, undercooked poultry and eggs, but salmonella can also contaminate fruit and vegetables through fertilizer used on crops.