E. coli O157:H7 found in Raw Farm raw Cheddar cheese, according to the CDC. That cheese is linked to an outbreak that has sickened at least nine people in three states. Raw Farm recalled the cheese more than two weeks after the outbreak was announced after initially refusing to recall these products.
The case count by state is: California (7), Florida (1), and Texas (1). The patient age range is from 1 to 28 years, with the median age of 2. More than half of the patients are under the age of 5. Illness onset dates range from September 1, 2025 to February 20, 2026. Of the eight patients who gave information to public health officials, three have been hospitalized, for a hospitalization rate of 37.5%. One person has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. Of the seven people who had information about what they ate before they got sick, all seven reported consuming Raw Farm dairy products.
The FDA conducted an inspection and collected samples at Raw Farm. One sample of Cheddar cheese tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. Whole genome sequencing showed that the E. coli from the cheese is a different strain than that from the sick people in this outbreak.
The strain of E. coli O157:H7 found in the cheese is related to patient isolates from a different 2025 outbreak that is not ongoing. The CDC and states are following up to find out of there is any information that shows whether people in the 2025 outbreak consumed Raw Farm products. According to the FDA, the cheese that tested positive in 2026 was not distributed.
If you bought any of the Raw Farm raw Cheddar cheese that was recalled, do not eat it. You can throw it away in a secure trash can after first double bagging or wrapping it so other people can’t see it, or you can take it back to the store where you purchased it for a full refund.
If you ate this cheese, or gave it to someone else to eat, monitor your and their health for the symptoms of an E. coli O157:H7 infection and HUS for the next ten days. If anyone does get sick, see your doctor.
