Almost 2 million dozen shell eggs were voluntarily recalled after being linked to a widespread salmonella outbreak, health officials said.

The salmonella outbreak is impacting millions of cartons of eggs sold at several popular retailers and grocery stores in nine states, including Illinois.

Millions of dozens of eggs have been recalled because they may be contaminated with salmonella. The Food and Drug Administration announced that August Egg Company recalled 1.7 million dozen brown cage-free and brown certified organic eggs, or 20.4 million individual eggs, that were distributed across nine states.