An E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk and cheddar cheese from Raw Farm, a Fresno, California producer, has sickened nine people across three states, health officials confirmed on March 26. The outbreak, first announced on March 15, includes seven cases in California, one in Texas, and one in Florida. Over half of the illnesses involve children younger than five, with three hospitalizations and one case of a dangerous kidney infection reported. No deaths have been recorded.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified Raw Farm as the source after interviewing eight patients, seven of whom reported consuming Raw Farm products. Illnesses were confirmed from September to mid-February. The company has not issued a recall, stating it tests all its cheese and milk before selling them.
Interest in raw milk has risen in recent years, driven by social media and support from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again movement. Raw milk is unpasteurized, meaning it may contain harmful bacteria like E. coli, salmonella, listeria, and campylobacter.