Raw Dairy Farm Issues Voluntary Recall of Certain Cheese Products Amid FDA Investigation into E. coli Outbreak

Raw Milk Cheese Recall Issued Amid Ongoing E. coli Outbreak

A California dairy producer, Raw Farm of Fresno, has issued a voluntary recall of its raw cheddar cheese products following an ongoing investigation into an E. coli outbreak. The recall affects more than a half-dozen varieties of cheddar cheese made from raw milk, with expiration dates spanning from May 2026 to September 2026.

The recall comes as interest in and sales of raw milk have been rising in recent years, fueled by social media and growing support from the Make America Healthy Again movement led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Raw milk has not been pasteurized, which kills germs like E. coli, salmonella, listeria, and campylobacter.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began investigating cases of E. coli food poisoning among people who had reportedly consumed Raw Farm's products last month and previously requested a recall. While the FDA said it was conducting an inspection of the company's facilities, it had not found positive testing for E. coli bacteria among the company's products.

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The FDA has the authority to order food companies to recall their products when there is a reasonable risk of serious injury or death, but the agency must first give the company the opportunity to voluntarily comply. In this case, Raw Farm has chosen to conduct the recall "under protest" and in order to chart "a path forward."

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Genetic sequencing of E. coli strains from sick people shows that they are all closely related, indicating that people in the outbreak "share a common source of infection," the FDA said. The federal government does not allow the sale of unpasteurized milk across state lines for human consumption. States have widely varying regulations regarding raw milk, with some allowing retail sales in stores and others allowing sale only at farms.

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