Raw Farm cheddar linked to E. coli outbreak, company declines recall

The FDA has linked Raw Farm's raw-milk cheddar to a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin–producing E. coli, identifying seven cases across California (5), Florida (1), and Texas (1), including four children under age 3 and two hospitalizations with no deaths. Genetic testing points to a common source, and three interviewed patients reported consuming Raw Farm cheese. The FDA urged a voluntary recall, but Raw Farm has refused and publicized statements disputing the findings, asserting its own testing shows no E. coli. The case adds to Raw Farm’s history of outbreaks linked to unpasteurized dairy, with pasteurization cited as reducing risk by regulators.