Raw Farm is recalling its raw milk cheddar cheeses amid an outbreak of a dangerous strain of E. coli, according to the Food and Drug Administration. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Subscribe to read this story ad-free <\/p>\n
Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.<\/p>\n
![\"arrow\"](\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/rockcms\/2026-01\/arrow-f55fa5.svg\"){kind=icon}
<\/p>\n
As of Friday, the FDA reported <\/a>that the cheeses are linked to nine people in three states who developed E. coli O157:H7, a severe type of the bacteria that can cause stomach cramps, vomiting and bloody diarrhea. The cases are in California, Texas and Florida.<\/p>\n The California dairy company previously refused to recall<\/a> its products when the FDA\u2019s investigation began in mid-March.<\/p>\n Three people have been hospitalized and one person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a life-threatening E. coli complication<\/a> that can cause kidney failure. Over half of the illnesses are in children under 5 years old. No deaths have been reported.<\/p>\n To find a potential link, the FDA interviewed eight of the infected people about what they ate the week prior to infection. All of them reported eating raw dairy products.<\/p>\n The FDA is testing samples for E. coli, but hasn\u2019t confirmed a positive test result so far. Raw Farm President Aaron McAfee said that won\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not related to this outbreak,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n McAfee said the voluntary recall was \u201cmade under protest\u201d and \u201csimply a moment in time where this was the right decision for Raw Farm and our consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRAW FARM continues to contest the epidemiological links provided by the FDA,\u201d the company said in a statement<\/a> released Thursday.<\/p>\n Raw milk products are made from dairy that hasn\u2019t been pasteurized, a process that heats it enough to destroy bacteria.<\/p>\n Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was previously a proponent of raw milk, touting it as the only kind of milk he drinks<\/a>, and said he would end the \u201caggressive suppression<\/a>\u201d of raw milk by the FDA.<\/p>\n More recently, Kennedy has shied away from promoting raw milk as he campaigns in support of the new dietary guidelines<\/a>, focusing instead on whole milk without mentioning whether it\u2019s pasteurized or raw.<\/p>\n Raw Farm has been linked to previous E. coli outbreaks<\/a>, including one in 2024 also for raw cheddar cheese that resulted in five people being hospitalized.<\/p>\n The FDA has recommended that people not consume the recalled products<\/a>. McAfee agreed. <\/p>\n