The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s recall of 1.7 million dozen cage-free brown eggs from possible Salmonella enteritidis contamination has rekindled price concerns. 

On June 5, California-based August Egg Company volunteered the market withdrawal of eggs sold between February 3 and May 15, 2025. 

The recall affects central, southern and western states, namely Arizona, California, Washington, Wyoming, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada and New Mexico.

Some of the popular brands under recall include “Clover,” “First Street,” Simple Truth,” Marketside” and “Nulaid,” among others. 

The company confirmed the eggs to have passed state lines across AZ, IL, WY, WA, NV, NM, NE and IN from CA.

Consumer advisories include the return or destruction of eggs that are under either code numbers P-6562 or CA5330. Currently, the firm is not processing shell eggs but is instead liquifying them for pasteurization treatment. 

Salmonella infections on healthy people lead to stomach upsets, fever and diarrhoea that last at least four days. 

In January 2025, the FDA had recalled 60 baked goods due to a near-similar germ, namely listeria monocytogenes.

Possible Price Pressure

Consumers hope salmonella will not elevate wholesale prices back to $5 a dozen as had happened during the avian flu outbreak. 

This at a time when the retail price had just simmered down to below $3 a dozen, especially in Wisconsin (WI).  

Walmart, which is also currently recalling brown eggs, has been offering a dozen eggs for $2.96 in some stores in Wisconsin.   

Other stores such as Save Mart and FoodMaxx have also withdrawn affected eggs, but had no pricing mentions. 

Although the wholesale stores cooled their pricing by a monthly record of 12.7% in April 2025, retail chains only caught up late May.

For this reason, the U.S. Department of Justice is currently looking into probable price manipulation.

Consumers can take heart from the fact that this recent brown eggs recall is not the first Salmonella scare. And to learn more about brown egg trade in the United States, read on in the statistics section, next. 

United States Brown Eggs Statistics 

The production of eggs in the United States usually classifies as either table or hatching eggs. Table eggs constitute in-shell brown or white eggs. Although their total production is usually under one count, brown eggs do cost around 10 to 20% more than white equivalents. According to the WEBMD Network, there is little nutritional difference between the two but brown types contain extra omega-3 fatty acids. 

Where in the United States are brown eggs in high purchase?

According to regional preferences studies, the U.S.’ northeast purchases 60% of its eggs brown while the south buys mostly white. 

How much did wholesale eggs in the U.S. average in  June 2025? 

In the June 2024-June 2025 period, wholesale eggs averaged $4.25 per large dozen while in early June 2025 they were down to $2.66. 

How many table eggs does the U.S. produce per year?

According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), in 2023, table eggs (mostly brown and white) amounted to 8.031 billion pieces. They would decrease to 7.772 billion units in 2024. Table eggs in 2024 constituted the bulk of all-egg tally of 9.077 billion pieces. The rest were hatching eggs that hit 1.31 billion units in 2024.