FDA Links Raw Farm Cheddar Cheese to Multistate E. Coli Outbreak Affecting Children

US federal health officials have linked a multistate cluster of E. coli O157:H7 infections to raw cheddar cheese made by Raw Farm , a dairy producer based in Fresno, California . The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said nine people have been diagnosed, with more than half of the patients reported to be children younger than five.

Three of the nine patients were hospitalized, and one person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome , a serious complication that can cause kidney damage. The FDA said the illnesses were reported from September 2023 through February 2024 .

What the FDA says it found

The FDA reported that laboratory work found the bacterial samples shared genetic similarities, supporting a connection among the cases. Based on its investigation, the agency identified Raw Farm’s raw cheddar cheese as the likely source.

Case counts were concentrated in California , which accounted for seven infections, while Florida and Texas each reported one. The FDA described Raw Farm as the largest US producer of raw milk .

Recall status and what remains unclear

No mandatory recall was announced in the FDA update. Instead, the agency said it advised the company to voluntarily remove its cheese products from retail shelves.

The FDA did not provide key distribution details, including how widely the products were sold, which specific lots may be involved, or whether investigators are evaluating additional potential cases. Those gaps can complicate decisions by retailers, consumers, and state health agencies trying to gauge exposure risk.

Broader context around Raw Farm

The FDA’s linkage comes after other health-related events associated with Raw Farm that were cited in the same account. In December 2023 , the farm was connected to H5N1 bird flu in three cats that had consumed raw milk, and two of those animals died.

Separately, in 2023 , Raw Farm was tied to a salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 165 people, described as the largest salmonella outbreak in more than a decade. The new FDA update does not state whether any operational changes followed those earlier incidents, or whether the current investigation has identified a specific production date or handling step linked to the E. coli findings.