Raw Milk Products from California Farm Linked to E. Coli Cases Across Multiple States

Health officials report nine people, including young children, have fallen ill from E. coli poisoning connected to unpasteurized milk and cheese from a California dairy company. The outbreak has affected multiple states with three hospitalizations reported, though no deaths have occurred.

Health authorities are investigating an E. coli outbreak that has affected nine individuals, including several young children, with cases linked to unpasteurized dairy products manufactured by Raw Farm, a dairy operation based in Fresno, California.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday that two additional cases in California have expanded the outbreak, which was initially disclosed on March 15. California now accounts for seven of the total cases, while Texas and Florida each report one illness. More than half of those affected are children under age 5, with three patients requiring hospitalization and one developing a serious kidney complication.

Health officials confirm no fatalities have occurred in connection with this outbreak.

The popularity of unpasteurized milk products has grown significantly in recent years, driven by social media promotion and advocacy from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again initiative. Unlike pasteurized milk, raw milk retains harmful bacteria including E. coli, salmonella, listeria and campylobacter that the pasteurization process eliminates.

Cases emerged between September and mid-February. Among eight patients interviewed by investigators, seven confirmed consuming products bearing the Raw Farm label, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Two individuals in 2025 reported drinking the company’s raw milk, while five people in 2026 consumed or were served the company’s unpasteurized cheddar cheese.

Laboratory analysis of E. coli samples from affected patients reveals closely matching genetic patterns, confirming that outbreak victims “share a common source of infection,” FDA officials stated.

Federal regulators previously recommended that Raw Farm voluntarily remove its raw milk cheddar cheese from retail shelves, but the company declined to comply. Testing of Raw Farm products has not detected E. coli contamination, the agency reported.

Connecticut Representative Rosa DeLauro, along with other Congressional Food Safety Caucus members, has called on the FDA to exercise mandatory recall powers to remove Raw Farm products from stores. Federal officials have not indicated whether they plan to take such action.

Regulatory inspectors from the FDA and state health departments have conducted facility evaluations at Raw Farm locations. The CDC is advising consumers to “consider not eating this cheese while the investigation continues.”