Wednesday, March 18, 2026

LA County Warns of E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Raw Cheese Sold at Pasadena Retailers

Health officials say four of seven patients nationwide are 3 years old or younger; California dairy company declined FDA’s recall request

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Tuesday warned residents to discard RAW FARM-brand raw cheddar cheese after federal investigators linked the product to a multistate E. coli outbreak that has sickened seven people, including two in LA County.

Four of the seven patients are 3 years old or younger, according to the FDA. Two have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported

The cheese has reportedly been sold at Sprouts Farmers Market at 39 N. Rosemead Blvd. and Erewhon Market at 475 S. Lake Ave. in Pasadena, according to prior county health notices, though it has not been confirmed whether the product remains on shelves at those locations.

RAW FARM, LLC, a Fresno-based dairy company, declined the FDA’s request to voluntarily recall the cheese. It is the first time in the company’s history it has refused such a request, according to RAW FARM President Aaron McAfee, as reported by The Business Journal of Fresno.

“We disagree 100% with the allegations made by the FDA and CDC,” the company said in a statement reported by NBC News. “All our milk is tested prior to making cheese and our finished cheese is tested prior to release. We have no customer complaints at this time.”

No RAW FARM cheddar cheese products from the outbreak period have tested positive for E. coli, according to the FDA. State partners have collected product samples for testing, but results are not yet available, the FDA said.

The FDA’s position rests on epidemiologic evidence. All three patients interviewed by public health officials reported eating RAW FARM raw cheddar cheese, and whole genome sequencing showed the E. coli isolates from patients were closely related genetically, according to the FDA’s outbreak investigation page.

“Epidemiologic evidence indicates that RAW FARM-brand raw cheddar cheese products made by RAW FARM, LLC are the likely source of this outbreak,” the FDA said.

Illness onset dates range from September 1, 2025, to February 13, 2026, according to the FDA. Cases have been reported in California, Florida and Texas. Five of the seven patients are in California.

The county health department said symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 infection typically begin three to four days after consumption and include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting, according to the department’s press release. Children, older adults, pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems face particular risk of severe illness, the department said. The strain can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure, according to the FDA.

The implicated products include both block and shredded forms of RAW FARM raw cheddar cheese, according to the FDA. The department advised residents to throw the cheese away or return it and to sanitize any surfaces that came into contact with the product.

This is the third outbreak linked to RAW FARM products in three years. In February 2024, the company’s raw cheddar cheese was linked to an E. coli outbreak that sickened 10 people in four states, according to the FDA. A Salmonella outbreak tied to Raw Farm raw milk, beginning in fall 2023, sickened at least 165 people in four states, according to the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.

Under the Food Safety Modernization Act, the FDA Commissioner has the authority to order a mandatory recall when a company declines to act voluntarily, according to FDA guidance documents. The FDA had not indicated whether it will exercise that authority.