Federal health officials are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to Raw Farm raw cheddar cheese, and regulators say the company has declined to voluntarily recall the product despite the investigation. The situation also comes against the backdrop of a long history of recalls and outbreaks tied to the California dairy’s raw milk products, which has been associated with multiple incidents involving E. coli, salmonella, campylobacter, and listeria over the past two decades.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), seven confirmed illnesses have been reported across three states—California (5), Florida (1), and Texas (1). Four of the seven people sickened are age three or younger. Two patients have been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported.
Illness onset dates range from September 1, 2025 through February 13, 2026, and genetic sequencing of patient samples indicates the infections are closely related, suggesting a common source.
Public health officials have interviewed several people who became ill, and all interviewed patients reported consuming Raw Farm raw cheddar cheese, either block or shredded varieties. Based on the epidemiological evidence, regulators say the cheese is the likely source of the outbreak, though laboratory testing of product samples is still ongoing.
The FDA has recommended that Raw Farm voluntarily remove its raw cheddar cheese products from the market while the investigation continues. The company has declined to do so.
Symptoms of E. coli infection typically appear within a few days to nine days after exposure and can include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Certain strains—particularly Shiga toxin–producing E. coli—can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication that can cause kidney failure and require hospitalization.
Operating as Organic Pastures Dairy Company until rebranding as Raw Farm in 2020, the company has been linked to outbreaks dating back nearly 20 years, including E. coli outbreaks in 2006, 2011, and 2016. More recently, the company faced outbreaks or recalls tied to salmonella, E. coli, and bird flu in 2024.
Raw Farm is owned by Mark McAfee, a prominent raw milk advocate and one of the country’s largest producers of raw dairy. McAfee had previously hoped to advise Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on raw milk policy, but in recent interviews he has said the health secretary stopped responding to outreach from the industry and has not taken action to advance raw milk policy at the federal level.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available and the investigation develops.
Josie Krogh
Josie Krogh is culture's Digital Strategy Lead. She earned her master's degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics from The University of Georgia. Josie developed a love of food while working at farmstands in the D.C. area as a young adult, and discovered her love of cheese while living and working on a dairy farm on Martha's Vineyard. Josie currently lives in Catskill, NY.
