A California dairy company is recalling raw milk cheese linked to a strain of E. coli

Raw Farm is recalling its raw milk cheddar cheese amid an outbreak of the deadly E. coli, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

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As of Friday, the FDA reported that the cheeses were linked to nine people in three states who developed E. coli O157:H7, a nasty strain of bacteria that can cause stomach cramps, vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Cases in California, Texas and Florida.

The California dairy company previously declined to recall its products when an FDA investigation began in mid-March.

Three people were hospitalized and one person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a complication of E. coli that can cause life-threatening kidney failure. More than half of the cases are in children under five years of age. No deaths were reported.

To find a possible link, the FDA interviewed eight people who were infected with the virus about what they ate in the week before the infection. All reported consuming raw dairy products.

The FDA tests samples of E. coli, but has not confirmed the exact test result so far. Raw Farm President Aaron McAfee said that would not happen.

“We have nothing to do with this outbreak,” he said.

McAfee said the voluntary recall “was done under protest” and “at a moment’s notice this was the right decision for Raw Farm and our consumers.”

“RAW FARM continues to dispute the epidemiological links provided by the FDA,” the company said in a statement released Thursday.

Raw milk products are made from milk that has not been pasteurized, a process that heats it enough to destroy bacteria.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. he was previously a proponent of raw milk, listing it as the only milk he drank, and said he would end the FDA’s “brutal crackdown” on raw milk.

Recently, Kennedy stopped promoting raw milk as he campaigned to support new dietary guidelines, which focus on whole milk without specifying whether it is pasteurized or raw.

Raw Farm has been linked to an outbreak of E. coli in the past, including one in 2024 and for blue cheddar cheese that resulted in five people being hospitalized.

The FDA recommended that people not consume the recalled products. McAfee agreed.

These are the returned items, including collections made before these dates:

• 8 oz Lightly Salted Cheddar Block; Collection: 20251027-2; Expiration: 8/23/2026
• 80 oz Lightly Salted Cheddar Block; Collection: 20251015-4; Expiration: 8/11/2026
• 16 oz Block of Mildly Salted Cheddar; Collection: 20251027-4; Expiration: 8/23/2026
• 80 oz Bag of Original Cheddar Shred; Collection: 20260205; Expiration: 5/6/2026
• 16 oz Jalapeno Cheddar Block; Collection: 20251128-1J; Expiration: 9/24/2026
• 8 oz Lightly Salted Cheddar Shred; Collection: 20260212; Expiration: 5/13/2026
• 8 oz Jalapeno Cheddar Block; Collection: 20251128-2J; Expiration: 9/24/2026

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that consuming raw milk can lead to “serious health risks” from exposure to E. coli, salmonella and listeria.

Most people infected with E. coli recover on their own within five to seven days. Children under the age of 5, pregnant women, people over 65 and people with weak immune systems are at high risk of severe illness.

Symptoms include diarrhea that lasts more than three days, excessive vomiting and a fever over 102 degrees Fahrenheit.