The FDA is weighing in on the Raw Farm raw Cheddar cheese E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that has sickened at least seven people in three states. The farm is refusing to recall the cheese, disputing the claim that the cheese is contaminated with pathogenic bacteria.
The case count by state is: California (5), Florida (1), and Texas (1). The patient age range is from 1 to 28 years, with the median age of 3. More than half of the patients are under the age of 5. Illness onset dates range from September 1, 2025 to February 13, 2025. Of the 7 patients who gave information to public health officials, 2 have been hospitalized, for a hospitalization rate of 29%.
Epidemiologic data shows that Raw Farm raw cheddar cheese may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and may be making people sick. Of the three people interviewed, all three reported eating Raw Farm brand raw cheddar cheese before getting sick.
Patients in this outbreak are young, under the age of five, and four are under the age of three. Anyone who contracts a STEC (Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infection) at that age is at risk for developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney failure. Although two patients have been hospitalized in the outbreak, no HUS cases have been reported.
The investigation is ongoing to find the source of the contamination and whether more products are linked to illnesses. No Raw Farm raw Cheddar has tested positive for STEC bacteria yet, but state partners have collected product samples for testing and analysis and the results are not yet available.
If you bought this cheese, do not eat it and do not feed it to your family or others. You can throw the cheese away in a secure trash can, or you can return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.
If you ate this cheese, monitor your health for the symptoms of and E. coli infection for the next 10 days. If you do get sick, see your doctor.
If you or your child have been sickened with an E.coli O157:H7 food poisoning infection, please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores, restaurants, and food processors.
