Since the last update on March 15, 2026, 2 additional illnesses have been reported from California. A total of 9 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli have been reported from 3 states – California 7, Florida 1 and Texas 1.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from September 1, 2025, to February 20, 2026. Of 8 people with information available, 3 have been hospitalized and 1 person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure. No deaths have been reported. Over half of the illnesses are in children under five (5) years old.
State and local public health officials are interviewing people or their caregivers about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 8 people interviewed, all 8 (100%) in this outbreak reported consuming or being served unpasteurized milk or cheese. This percentage was significantly higher than the 6.4% of respondents who reported eating any raw or unpasteurized milk or cheese in the FoodNet Population Survey, a survey that helps estimate how often people eat various foods linked to diarrheal illness. This difference suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from eating raw dairy products.
Of the 8 people interviewed, 7 had brand information available. One person drank raw milk but didn’t know the brand. Of the 7 people interviewed who knew a brand, 7 (100%) reported Raw Farm brand dairy products. In 2026, 5 people reported consuming or being served Raw Farm brand raw cheddar cheese. In 2025, 2 sick people reported consuming Raw Farm brand raw milk.
FDA has initiated an onsite inspection at RAW FARM, LLC in coordination with state partners. To date, FDA is not aware of any positive E. coli tests in RAW FARM-brand raw cheddar cheese products from this time period. FDA will update this advisory should additional information become available.
Prior Raw Farms Outbreaks and/or Recalls
DateProductContaminantRecall/IllnessesSeptember 2006Raw MilkE. coli O157:H76 ill, 2 with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome September 2007Raw CreamListeria monocytogenesRecall IssuedDecember 2007Raw MilkCampylobacter8 Illnesses September 2008Raw CreamCampylobacterRecall IssuedNovember 2011Raw MilkE. coli O157:H75 ill, 3 with Hemolytic Uremic SyndromeMay 2012Raw Milk/CreamCampylobacter10 Illnesses October 2015Raw MilkCampylobacterRecall IssuedJanuary 2016Raw MilkE. coli O157:H79 ill, 2 with Hemolytic Uremic SyndromeMay 2023Raw MilkCampylobacterRecall IssuedAugust 2023Unpasteurized Cheese SalmonellaRecall IssuedDecember 2023Raw MilkSalmonella19 IllnessesOctober 2024Raw MilkSalmonella171 IllnessesDecember 2024Unpasteurized CheeseE. coli O157:H711 illnesses
March 2026Raw Milk and Unpasteurized Cheese E. coli O157:H79 illnesses, 1 with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome