Cheese recall after E. coli

A California raw-dairy producer recalled raw cheddar sold nationwide after federal investigators tied its cheese and milk to a multistate E. coli outbreak. (cdc.gov) The company is Raw Farm, LLC, based in Fresno, California. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on April 16 that nine people in California, Texas, and Florida had been infected, three had been hospitalized, and one had developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a kidney complication that can follow E. coli infection. (cdc.gov; cdc.gov) The recall was posted by the Food and Drug Administration on April 2, 2026, and covers Raw Farm raw cheddar in 8-ounce and 16-ounce blocks, 8-ounce shredded bags, and 80-ounce bulk products, including jalapeño cheddar, with listed expiration dates running into August and September 2026. (fda.gov) E. coli is a bacteria that can cause severe stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea that is often bloody. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said symptoms usually begin three to four days after exposure, and some patients develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can lead to kidney failure. (cdc.gov) This outbreak centered on raw dairy, which means milk that has not been pasteurized, or heat-treated to kill harmful germs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told consumers to avoid the recalled cheeses and said pasteurized dairy is the safer choice, especially for children under 5. (cdc.gov) The timing became part of the story because federal officials had urged the company to pull cheese before the recall was issued. Raw Farm’s recall notice said the company was acting “at the request of the FDA” and described the move as being made “under protest,” while the Food and Drug Administration had previously recommended that the firm voluntarily remove the products from the market. (fda.gov; cheesereporter.com) Raw Farm disputed the case against its cheese in the recall notice, saying no pathogens had been found in company or government samples tied to the recalled lots. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said epidemiologic and laboratory evidence showed Raw Farm raw dairy products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and may be making people sick. (fda.gov; cdc.gov) Investigators later found one cheddar sample that tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said genome sequencing linked that sample to a different 2025 outbreak, not the current 2026 illnesses. The agency also said that cheese sample was not distributed. (cdc.gov) The illnesses in the current outbreak began between September 1, 2025, and February 20, 2026, and more than half of the patients were children younger than 5, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency said the true case count is likely higher because many people recover without testing. (cdc.gov; cdc.gov) For consumers, the advice is simple: do not eat, sell, or serve the recalled cheese, and wash any containers or surfaces that touched it. The outbreak investigation remains open. (cdc.gov)