FDA inspects raw farm dairy products due to link to outbreak

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigators began an on-site investigation into Raw Farm LLC dairy products as they were the likely source of the E. coli outbreak.

The FDA asked the Fresno, California, dairy to recall its block and shredded raw milk cheddar cheese, but the dairy owners refused. So far, seven people have been infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. They live in California, Texas, and Florida.

Specifically, three people became sick after eating Raw Farm raw milk cheddar cheese. Four of the patients are children under 3 years of age. Two of the patients were hospitalized. The FDA has declared that cheese from dairy products is the biggest cause of the disease.

The McAfee family, which owns the dairy, has taken to social media to claim that its products are safe. However, Raw Farm products are not pasteurized, which involves heat treatment for 15 seconds to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella, and listeria.

The Congressional Food Safety Caucus, led by Representative Rosa DeLauro, has asked the FDA to use its authority to force Raw Farm to recall its products, but the agency has not yet done so.

The FDA is part of the Department of Health and Human Services under the direction of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy is a longtime customer of Raw Farm.

Raw Farm’s products have been linked to several outbreaks in recent years and have been subject to numerous recalls.