About the Recalled Product
The recalled product is Kirkland Signature Organic Pasture Raised Eggs in 24-count plastic cartons bearing UPC 9661910680, Julian code 327, and a use-by date of January 5–6, 2025. The eggs were sold at 25 Costco locations in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee beginning November 22, 2024.
Latest Updates
Handsome Brook Farms initiated the voluntary recall on November 27, 2024, after determining that eggs not intended for retail distribution had been mistakenly packaged and sold as Kirkland Signature retail product [1]. The FDA upgraded the recall to Class I status on December 20, 2024, formally determining that the product posed a risk of serious injury or death [2]. No confirmed illnesses had been reported as of the recall’s publication [3].
Eggs from a Salmonella-Positive Environment Sold as Premium Retail Product
The core of this recall is a supply chain failure: eggs that Handsome Brook Farms had flagged as not suitable for retail distribution — originating from an environment that tested positive for Salmonella — were mistakenly packaged in Kirkland Signature retail cartons and shipped to 25 Costco stores. A consumer purchasing a premium-priced, organic, pasture-raised egg product at Costco had no basis to suspect that the eggs inside the carton came from a production environment the company’s own internal controls had identified as a Salmonella risk.
Handsome Brook Farms acknowledged the error and stated it would implement additional supply chain controls and retraining. The fact that such controls were not already in place to prevent Salmonella-flagged eggs from entering the retail packaging line is precisely the question at the center of any product liability analysis.
A Three-Week Gap Before the Highest-Risk Classification
The voluntary recall was announced on November 27, 2024, but the FDA did not issue its Class I designation until December 20, 2024 — more than three weeks later. During that interval, the recalled eggs’ use-by date had not yet passed, meaning consumers who had purchased the product and stored it were holding Salmonella-risk eggs that had not yet been formally classified at the agency’s highest hazard level.
The Class I designation — reserved for products with a reasonable probability of causing serious adverse health consequences or death — was applied retroactively to a product already distributed to 10,800 purchasers across five states.
The Salmonella Risk from Shell Eggs
Salmonella can be present inside an egg as well as on its shell, making contamination invisible to the consumer and undetectable without laboratory testing. Infection causes diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps typically within 12 to 72 hours of exposure, and can become life-threatening through dehydration or bloodstream invasion in infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals.
Eggs from pasture-raised, organic operations are often consumed in preparations where the yolk remains soft or runny — poached eggs, soft-boiled eggs, hollandaise, homemade Caesar dressing — meaning the thermal kill step that would otherwise destroy Salmonella is frequently absent in exactly the consumer population that seeks out premium egg products.
Reported Illnesses
No confirmed illnesses were reported to Handsome Brook Farms or the FDA in connection with the recalled Kirkland Signature eggs as of the recall announcement. Given Salmonella’s incubation window of 12 to 72 hours and the recall’s geographic concentration in the Southeast, any affected consumers may have attributed a subsequent gastrointestinal illness to other causes without connecting it to this specific product.
Can I File a Lawsuit?
If you developed a Salmonella infection after consuming Kirkland Signature Organic Pasture Raised Eggs with Julian code 327 and a use-by date of January 5–6, 2025, you may have a product liability claim against Handsome Brook Farms. Contact an attorney promptly, as state filing deadlines apply.
What to Do Now
Do not eat any Kirkland Signature Organic Pasture Raised 24-Count Eggs bearing UPC 9661910680, Julian code 327, and a use-by date of January 5–6, 2025 — discard the product or return it to Costco for a full refund. Contact Handsome Brook Farms at 646-733-4532, ext. 1 (Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET) or by email at recall@hbfeggs.com.
References
1. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/handsome-brook-farms-issues-recall-kirkland-signature-organic-pasture-raised-24-count-eggs-because
2. https://www.wfae.org/united-states-world/2024-12-27/costco-egg-recall-for-salmonella-receives-fdas-most-severe-designation
3. https://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2024/kirkland-signature-organic-pasture-eggs-recalled-for-salmonella/