E. coli in Florida, California, Texas blamed on cheese. Cheese maker disagrees
E. coli illnesses in Florida, Texas and California of the deadly E. coli form have been linked by investigators to cheese from the Fresno, California, company Raw Farm, the FDA announced Monday morning.
But, Raw Farm CEO Mark McAfee says the FDA is “Jumping to misleading and early conclusions without evidence.”
Here’s what’s known so far about this outbreak of E. coli O157:H7.
Where have people been infected with E. coli in this outbreak?
There have been five people sickened in California, one in Florida and one in Texas from Sept. 1 through Feb. 13. Two people have been hospitalized. None have died. Four of the seven people are 3 years old or younger, the FDA said.
“Whole genome sequencing analysis of E. coli isolates from ill people shows that they are all closely related genetically to each other,” the FDA said. “This means that people in this outbreak are likely to share a common source of infection.”
Why are Raw Farm cheeses being linked to this outbreak?
The FDA said of the seven people sickened, three have been interviewed, all of whom said they ate Raw Farm Raw Cheddar Cheese.
“State and local officials are working to gather additional data for the four other illnesses, including two illnesses that occurred in 2025,” the FDA said. “Epidemiologic evidence indicates that Raw Farm-brand raw cheddar cheese products made by Raw Farm LLC are the likely source of this outbreak.”
McAfee points out that epidemiologic evidence “is an investigative tool. It does not prove causation.”
He said Raw Farm tested each batch of cheese multiple times and all came up negative for E. coli and has negative test records going back into 2025. Also, federal law prohibits shipping of raw milk products across state lines, so, McAfee asked, how is Raw Farm’s cheese to blame for the Florida and Texas people infected?
A miniscule number of recalls actually are ordered by the FDA or USDA. Though the FDA recommended a recall, the agency said, Raw Farm “declined.”
McAfee said, “We would cooperate with a recall if we thought it was our product, but it’s not.”
Why is this form of E. coli worse than others?
E. coli O157:H7 is a Shiga toxin-producing form that can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome or HUS, a form of kidney failure that can be deadly.
As the CDC notes, most people infected with a form of Shiga toxin E. coli get better after five to seven days of stomachaches, vomiting and diarrhea, which can be bloody.
This story was originally published March 16, 2026 at 12:36 PM with the headline "E. coli in Florida, California, Texas blamed on cheese. Cheese maker disagrees."
