NEW YORK, July 24, 2026, 18:10 EDT
- The outbreak has sickened 98 people across 17 states. Twenty-six were hospitalized, with no deaths reported.
- Midwest Poultry Services recalled 1.59 million dozen eggs produced at two Texas farms.
- U.S. wholesale large-egg prices rose 35 cents this week. Large-egg inventories fell 8%.
The U.S. salmonella outbreak expanded to 98 cases on Friday. On a supply basis, the recall equals roughly 1.8 hours of average June output.
That distinction matters for investors. The outbreak raises liability and brand risks without creating a clear national shortage. Producer profits remain driven mainly by wholesale egg prices.
Midwest Poultry Services recalled 1,589,577 dozen eggs made between June 6 and July 3. The FDA called MPS a likely source, but said it cannot explain every illness. The investigation remains open.
The label list includes Kroger NYSE:KR, Simple Truth and Sunups. Sunups is in the portfolio of Cal-Maine Foods NASDAQ:CALM. Distribution reached six southern states.
The scale comparison is stark.
| Measure | Latest verified figure | Calculated comparison |
|---|---|---|
| MPS recall | 1.590 million dozen | Base |
| June U.S. table-egg output | 7.64 billion eggs, or 636.7 million dozen | Recall equals 0.25% |
| Cal-Maine fiscal 2026 shell-egg sales | About 1.2 billion dozen | Recall equals 0.13% |
| Friday close | Cal-Maine $90.32, up 2.5%; Kroger $56.87, up 2.0%; Vital Farms NASDAQ:VITL $13.02, up 2.2% | All gained |
The Cal-Maine ratio is a scale yardstick, not an exposure estimate. MPS, not Cal-Maine, produced the recalled eggs.
U.S. regular trading had closed by publication. Friday’s gains suggest investors focused more on recovering prices than recall volume. That remains an inference.
Cal-Maine’s Wednesday results framed that pricing cycle. Fiscal fourth-quarter sales fell 49.9% to $552.6 million. The company posted a $58.8 million operating loss.
Conventional egg volume rose 3.1%, but average prices fell 70.9%. Chief Executive Sherman Miller said oversupply drove prices to “historically low inflation-adjusted levels.” SEC
Friday’s USDA report offered an early counter-signal. National large wholesale eggs rose 35 cents to $1.09 a dozen. Large-egg inventories fell 8% from the prior week.
A prolonged MPS shutdown could firm regional prices further. The company has stopped fresh-egg distribution from its two Texas farms.
Kroger has the clearest listed-retailer link through recalled store labels. The FDA told consumers to return affected cartons for refunds. The regulator provided no financial estimate.
In the week ahead, investors will watch for more illnesses and additional sources. They will also track an MPS restart and the next USDA price report.
Risks: more illnesses, added brands or longer farm closures could raise legal and recall costs. A fast production restart could reverse the price rebound.
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