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RAW FARM challenges FDA after raw milk cheese cited for multistate E. coli outbreak

A California dairy farm is contesting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s linking of their raw milk cheese to a multi-state E. coli outbreak.

The FDA says over a span of six months, seven people from California, Florida, and Texas were confirmed to have Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. More than half of the illnesses are in children three years old and younger.

In an official response, President of RAW FARM Aaron McAFee says the farm is not participating in a voluntary recall because they believe the claims are false.

“We single source our milk from our own dairies,” he explains. “We test all of our cows weekly. We test all of our milk going into the cheese vat. We test the cheese coming out. Furthermore, we do not have any illness complaints, nor do our retail partners. We’ve checked with them.”

Officials say epidemiologic evidence indicates that RAW FARM-brand raw cheddar cheese products are the likely source of this outbreak. The FDA also says no RAW FARM-brand cheddar cheese products from September to February have tested positive for E. coli.

Since 2006, the farm has had more than 10 recalls for contaminated products and is still part of an ongoing lawsuit from a 2024 E. coli outbreak, according to the law firm representing the plaintiffs.