Raw Cheese and E. coli Outbreak: Key Details
A recent investigation has revealed that raw cheese from a company named Raw Farm, LLC, is linked to an E. coli outbreak this year. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began looking into the company last month after it was connected to a multi-state E. coli outbreak involving its raw dairy products.
The outbreak has been associated with nine illnesses and three hospitalizations, including one individual who developed a life-threatening kidney condition. Despite these findings, Raw Farm denied the agencies’ claims that its products were responsible for the infections. The company stated that samples it had tested were negative for the bacteria.
This week, the CDC and FDA confirmed that one sample of cheddar cheese from Raw Farm tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. However, the strain identified in the cheese is different from the one causing the current outbreak. Instead, it is related to a strain involved in a separate outbreak in 2025, which is no longer active.
Additionally, the agencies reported that the cheese found to be contaminated this year was not distributed. Now, they are investigating whether individuals involved in the 2025 outbreak had consumed any products from Raw Farm.
The O157:H7 strain of E. coli was previously linked to a major McDonald’s recall in 2024, which involved onions used in Quarter Pounders. This incident was tied to 104 illnesses, 34 hospitalizations, and one death.
The FDA and CDC first raised concerns about the Raw Farm-linked outbreak on March 15, 2026. In their initial announcement, they warned that two people had been hospitalized and five others had fallen ill after consuming Raw Farm products. Health officials urged a recall, but Raw Farm rejected the request, stating in a statement that it “100 percent disagreed” that its products were behind the outbreak.
On March 26, health officials reported two more illnesses and one additional hospitalization tied to the outbreak and again called for a recall. Raw Farm denied the request again, claiming that all tests on its products were negative for E. coli. It is possible for tests to come back negative while the product still caused an outbreak if the contaminated batch was not tested.
Of the seven patients interviewed by health officials, five reported consuming Raw Farm cheddar cheese, and two said they had consumed raw milk. Nearly three weeks after the initial request, Raw Farm finally agreed to recall its cheddar cheeses linked to the outbreak. In a notice, however, it stated it was recalling the products “under protest” and “contested” the link between its products and the outbreak. The company added that “no pathogens” had been found in its products at that date.
Now, in the latest update, health officials confirmed that out of 19 samples of cheese tested, one tested positive for E. coli. As the strain was linked to previous sicknesses tied to raw milk, they are now testing further products from Raw Farm for potential contamination.
Patients sickened in this outbreak are located in three states: California, Texas, and Florida. One individual has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious kidney condition that can cause lifelong complications, while over half of the affected individuals are under five years old.
The raw cheeses were sold at grocery stores such as Sprouts and H-E-B. Raw Farm has recalled its cheddar cheeses sold in blocks or shredded. These include:
- Raw Farm Lightly Salted Cheddar Block, sold in either 8oz, 16oz or 80oz sizes
- Its Lightly Salted Cheddar Shred, sold in 8oz
- Its Bag of Original Cheddar Shred, sold in 80oz
- Its Jalapeño Cheddar Block, sold as 8oz or 16oz
The cheeses have best-before dates up to late September this year. The FDA has published their batch and barcode numbers on its website.
The products were made using raw milk, which is milk that has not been pasteurized. Pasteurization, a process used since the 1900s, involves heating milk to 161F (71.5C) for several seconds to kill any bacteria that may be present.
The CDC warns that consuming products made with raw milk increases the risk of exposure to germs, including E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella. Children under five years old, people over 65, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk from these pathogens.
Consumers are advised not to consume the cheeses and to throw them out immediately or return them to sellers for a full refund. In a previous update, anyone who had recently eaten the cheeses was urged to monitor themselves for symptoms, including a fever at 102F (39C), diarrhea that persists for more than three days, and vomiting.
Consumers were also told to throw out the affected cheeses and to wash surfaces that they have come into contact with using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.
No deaths have been reported, but officials are urging anyone who believes they were sickened by the cheese to come forward.
