Raw cheese that is suspected in an E.coli outbreak this year has tested positive for the bacteria.
Last month, the FDA and CDC began investigating Raw Farm, LLC for a possible link to a multi-state E.coli outbreak tied to its raw dairy products.
The products had been linked to nine illnesses and three hospitalizations, including one patient who developed a life-threatening kidney complication.
Raw Farm denied the agencies’ claims that its products were the cause of the infections and said samples it had tested were negative for the bacteria.
This week, the CDC and FDA found one sample of cheddar cheese from Raw Farm tested positive for E.coli O157:H7.
However, the strain of E.coli is different to that from the sick people in this outbreak. Instead, it is related to the strain in sick people from a separate outbreak in 2025, which is no longer ongoing.
Additionally, the agencies said that the cheese that tested positive this year was not distributed.
Now, the CDC and FDA are investigating if people involved in the 2025 outbreak had consumed any Raw Farm products.
Tests on raw cheddar cheese sold by RAW FARM have revealed a batch that is contaminated with E. coli (stock image)
The O157:H7 strain of E.coli was linked to a major McDonald’s recall in 2024 that was tied to onions used in Quarter Pounders.
Overall, the burgers were linked to 104 illnesses, 34 hospitalizations and one death.
The FDA and CDC first raised the alarm over the Raw Farm-linked outbreak on March 15, 2026.
In the initial announcement, it warned that two people had been hospitalized and five sickened after eating Raw Farm products.
Health officials urged a recall, but Raw Farm denied their request, and said in a statement that it ‘100 percent disagreed’ that its products were behind the outbreak.
On March 26, health officials warned over two more illnesses and one additional hospitalization tied to the outbreak and again called for a recall.
But Raw Farm denied their request again, and said in a statement that all tests on its own products were negative for E.coli.
It is possible for all the tests to be negative and for the product to still have caused an outbreak because health officials may have missed testing the contaminated batch.
Shown above are the two products linked to the outbreak. These are the RAW FARM cheddar cheese block and the RAW FARM cheddar cheese simply shredded
Of seven patients interviewed by health officials, five reported consuming Raw Farm cheddar cheese and two said they had consumed raw milk.
On April 2, nearly three weeks after the initial request, Raw Farm finally agreed to recall its cheddar cheeses linked to the outbreak.
In a notice, however, it said it was recalling the products ‘under protest’ and ‘contested’ the link between its products and the outbreak.
It added that ‘no pathogens’ had been found in its products at that date.
Now, in the latest update, health officials confirmed that out of 19 samples of cheese tested, one tested positive for E.coli.
As the strain was linked to previous sicknesses linked to raw milk, they are now testing further products from Raw Farm for potential contamination.
Patients sickened in this outbreak are in three states: California, Texas and Florida.
One has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious kidney condition that can cause lifelong complications, while over half are under five years old.
The raw cheeses were sold at Sprouts, H-E-B and other grocery stores.
Raw Farm has so far recalled its cheddar cheeses sold in blocks or shredded.
These are: Raw Farm Lightly Salted Cheddar Block, sold in either 8oz, 16oz or 80oz sizes, its Lightly Salted Cheddar Shred, sold in 8oz, its Bag of Original Cheddar Shred, sold in 80oz, and its Jalapeno Cheddar Block, sold as 8oz or 16oz.
The cheeses have best-before dates up to late September this year.
The FDA has published their batch and barcode numbers on its website.
The products were made using raw milk, which is milk that has not been pasteurized, a process used since the 1900s where milk is heated to 161F (71.5C) for several seconds to kill any bacteria that may be present.
The CDC warns that drinking or eating products made with raw milk raises the risk of consumers being exposed to germs, including E.coli, listeria and salmonella.
Children under five years old, people over 65, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk from the pathogens.
People are being advised not to consume the cheeses and to throw them out immediately or return them to sellers for a full refund.
In a previous update, anyone who had recently eaten the cheeses was urged to monitor themselves for symptoms, including a fever at 102F (39C), diarrhea that persists for more than three days and vomiting.
Consumers were also told to throw out the affected cheeses and to wash surfaces that they have come into contact with using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.
No deaths have been reported, but officials are urging anyone who believes they were sickened by the cheese to come forward.
