Federal health authorities announced Monday that seven individuals across three states have contracted E. coli infections connected to raw milk cheddar cheese, with most victims being young children.
The Food and Drug Administration identified California company Raw Farm as the probable source of the contamination, though the agency noted that no Raw Farm products have shown positive E. coli results during testing conducted throughout the outbreak timeframe.
Health officials documented cases spanning from September 2025 through mid-February. California reported five infections, while Florida and Texas each recorded one case. Children age 3 and under accounted for more than half the victims, and two individuals required hospital treatment.
Despite FDA recommendations for a voluntary product withdrawal, Raw Farm has refused to remove its raw cheese items from store shelves.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised consumers to “consider not eating” these products.
Raw Farm owner Mark McAfee defended his decision against recalling the cheese, stating investigators haven’t established a definitive connection between his products and the illnesses.
“They have found no pathogens in any of our products,” McAfee stated during an interview. He challenged the FDA’s conclusion that the cases showed genetic similarities and criticized the timing of the outbreak announcement as too early.
According to the FDA, interviews with three infected individuals revealed all had consumed Raw Farm brand raw milk cheddar cheese. Laboratory analysis of patient samples demonstrated that the E. coli strains responsible for their infections shared close genetic relationships.
Health investigators continue gathering details from the remaining four cases. The ongoing investigation aims to pinpoint the contamination source and determine if other products may be involved in the outbreak.
