- Posted April 6, 2026
Disputing Link, Raw Dairy Farm Recalls Raw Cheese After Outbreak
A California dairy farm has recalled its cheddar cheese "under protest" after federal health officials linked it to an E. coli outbreak that has sickened nine people.
The recall follows weeks of pressure from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which urged the company to pull the products from shelves.
The company, RAW FARM LLC, said it agreed to the recall “under protest” and continues to deny that its cheese caused the illnesses, The New York Times, reported.
Aaron McAfee, the president of RAW FARM, told The Times that the recall affects 170,000 pounds of cheese worth an estimated $1.5 million, including:
Original Cheddar
Jalapeño Cheddar
Shredded Original Cheddar
The products have expiration dates between May and September and were sold nationwide at stores, including Sprouts Farmers Market and H-E-B.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said consumers should throw the products away.
Nine people in California, Texas and Florida have been infected with E. coli O157:H7, a strain that can cause serious illness.
Illnesses began between Sept. 1 and Feb. 20, and three people were hospitalized. One person developed a serious kidney condition, and more than half of the cases were in kids under the age of 5.
Of eight people interviewed, seven reported eating RAW FARM products, the FDA said.
Food safety experts say it’s common during outbreaks to never find the bacteria in the food itself.
“Think of it like a crime scene,” Darin Detwiler, a professor of food regulatory affairs at Northeastern University, told The Times. “Multiple witnesses describe the same suspect. Security footage shows the same person entering each location. But the suspect has already left the building. That’s what’s happening here.”
He also criticized the delay in recalling the product.
“Your one job is to recall it immediately,” when evidence shows something is unsafe, he said.
Raw milk is not pasteurized, meaning harmful bacteria can survive.
Health officials have warned that raw dairy can cause serious illness, especially in young kids, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.
Past outbreaks have also been linked to the company’s products, The Times said, including an E. coli outbreak in 2024 that sickened 11 people, and a salmonella outbreak tied to raw milk that sickened at least 171 people and hospitalized 22.
More information
The Mayo Clinic has more on E. coli.
SOURCE: The New York Times, April 3, 2026
