An E. coli outbreak linked to cheddar cheese made from raw milk has sickened seven people across three states, according to federal health officials. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified California-based Raw Farm's products as the likely source of the infections, though no tests on the cheese itself have been positive for E. coli.
Key Takeaways
An E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk cheddar cheese has sickened seven people across three states, with more than half being children under three. The FDA identified Raw Farm's products as the likely source but found no positive tests on the cheese itself. Raw Farm declined a voluntary recall, disputing the genetic link findings.
The illnesses were reported between September 2025 and mid-February, with five cases in California and one each in Florida and Texas. More than half of those affected are children aged three or younger, and two people were hospitalized due to the severity of their symptoms.
Despite recommendations from the FDA, Raw Farm has declined to voluntarily recall its products. Mark McAfee, owner of Raw Farm, stated that investigators have not definitively linked his company's cheese to any illnesses. He disputed the FDA’s findings that the cases were genetically linked and argued that the announcement of the outbreak was premature.
The CDC urged consumers to consider avoiding raw milk products, which are more likely to contain dangerous bacteria. This warning comes amid a rise in raw milk consumption, despite long-standing health advisories against it. The investigation is ongoing to determine the source of contamination and whether additional products are linked to illnesses.
According to CNN, interviews with three people who got sick found that all three reported eating Raw Farm brand raw milk cheddar cheese. Analysis of samples from sick patients showed that the E. coli isolates that caused their infections were closely genetically related. Officials are working to gather information from the additional four cases.
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