Nine people sick from E coli linked to raw cheese from California farm, more than half of them children

The Guardian US News
by Edward Helmore
March 28, 2026
3 min read

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The Bottom Line

California raw milk dairy linked to E. coli outbreak in cheese has sickened nine people, mostly children.

How This Affects You

If you purchased raw cheddar cheese from Raw Farm, you may have been exposed to a dangerous E. coli strain; three people have been hospitalized and one developed a condition that can lead to kidney failure.

AI Summary

Raw Farm, a California dairy, has been linked to an E. coli outbreak affecting nine people across three states, with more than half of the victims under age five. The FDA identified the contamination in raw cheddar cheese produced by the farm, with three people hospitalized and one developing hemolytic uremic syndrome, a severe condition that can cause kidney failure. This is the second major outbreak traced to Raw Farm in recent years—the dairy was previously linked to a 2024 salmonella outbreak that sickened 165 people and two cat deaths from bird flu. Raw milk and raw milk products carry inherent food safety risks due to the lack of pasteurization, which kills harmful bacteria. The outbreak underscores ongoing concerns about the safety of unpasteurized dairy products, particularly for vulnerable populations like young children.

What's Being Done

The FDA issued an alert about the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to raw cheddar cheese from the California farm.

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