E. coli was found in raw cheese made by Raw Farm LLC.

Federal investigators discovered E. coli contamination in raw cheddar cheese produced by Raw Farm LLC in Fresno, California.

The dairy has been linked to an ongoing E. coli outbreak that has infected nine people in three states: California, Texas and Florida. Three of the patients required hospitalization and one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious condition that can cause kidney failure, brain damage and death.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, more than half of the patients in this outbreak are children under the age of five.

The E. coli found at the raw milk cheese farm does not match the current outbreak, but does match the 2025 outbreak. The contamination was found in one of 19 samples tested by the FDA.

The FDA asked dairy companies to recall raw cheddar cheese in March because of an epidemiological link between the cheese and the outbreak. The dairy company refused to initiate a recall for three weeks. When the cheese involved was recalled, it was recalled “under protest.”

There are concerns that some consumers may still have the recalled cheese at home, as the expiration date for the recalled cheese is September of this year. For more information about the recall Click here.

Federal, state, and local public health officials recommend against consuming products made from raw milk because pasteurizing milk risks killing pathogens.

U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) spoke out against Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a congressional hearing on April 16. The Minister of Health and Welfare was asked about his position on raw milk. Kennedy promoted raw milk and was a longtime customer of Raw Farm LLC.

When DeLauro asked Kennedy if he would tell the public not to drink raw milk because of its risks, the secretary did not provide a specific answer, instead saying the federal government does not regulate raw milk. However, federal law prohibits the sale of raw milk across state lines. And the FDA’s information page on raw milk instructs the public not to drink raw milk or give it to children because of the risk of bacteria in unpasteurized milk.

Raw Farm products have been involved in numerous recalls and outbreaks in recent years.