E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Raw Cheddar Cheese
On Sunday, federal regulators revealed that an E. coli outbreak affecting at least seven individuals across three states has been traced back to raw cheddar cheese products.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that most of those infected are children under three years old, with cases distributed in California, Texas, and Florida.
Of the seven confirmed cases, five occurred in California, one in Florida, and one in Texas.
The FDA stated, “FDA and CDC are collaborating with state and local entities to investigate the outbreak involving Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection.” They also noted that as of March 14, 2026, seven total cases have been confirmed from these three states.
Authorities have identified Raw Farm, a California-based family-run business recognized as the largest producer of raw dairy products in the country, as the source of the outbreak.
Interestingly, the FDA mentioned that despite their recommendation, RAW FARM declined to issue a voluntary recall for their shredded raw cheddar cheese.
In a response, the dairy company took to social media to deny these allegations, asserting that health officials made “false claims” and noted that no tests had shown a positive correlation with the E. coli strain.
“We are 100% against the claims put forth by the FDA and CDC,” the company stated. “All our products have tested negative for harmful bacteria, including E. coli 0157:H7. The FDA has confirmed that no RAW FARM products on the market have tested positive for E. coli.”
They also described the FDA and CDC’s statements as “gross and extreme harassment” towards their brand.
Although the FDA confirmed that no RAW FARM cheddar cheese has yet tested positive for E. coli, they mentioned that state authorities have begun collecting product samples.
The agency added that they could trace the infections using epidemiological data—analyzing the patterns and causes of health incidents.
The FDA noted, “Epidemiological evidence suggests that RAW FARM brand raw cheddar cheese products made by RAW FARM, LLC, are likely responsible for this outbreak.”
Among the three individuals interviewed, all reported consuming RAW FARM cheese, and local authorities are now focusing on gathering more information about the remaining four cases.
