Multistate E. coli Outbreak Linked to Raw Milk Cheese

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating a new outbreak of E. coli O26:H11 infections linked to Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheese. As of Sept. 25, there are 13 confirmed patients, more than half of whom are younger than 5 years old, according to the CDC. Ages range from 1 to 58, with a median of 5.

Illness onset dates range from July 7 through Aug. 26. Eight of the patients have required hospitalization and three have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, which is a type of kidney failure that can also cause other serious problems including brain damage and death. Of nine people interviewed, all nine reported eating Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheese before becoming ill. The products are sold in medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeño jack, and Monterey jack in 8-ounce or 16-ounce packages and available to food service customers or wholesalers in 5-pound loaves. The states with patients are California, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah.

According to the CDC, for every confirmed patient in an E. coli outbreak there are 26 who go undetected. This suggests the actual impact of the outbreak may be far wider than the 13 confirmed cases. The product is raw milk cheese, which is unpasteurized and falls into a high-risk food category; infants, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals are more likely to develop severe complications. This may explain why the median patient age is 5 and most patients are young children.

On Sept. 24, the Food and Drug Administration contacted the company to notify it about the outbreak and recommend it conduct a recall. That same day, Sierra Nevada Cheese Company LCC agreed to and initiated a recall of all Graziers Raw Milk Cheeses. The company is working with the FDA. The recalled cheeses were distributed nationwide. The FDA recommends that consumers and retailers do not eat, serve, or sell recalled Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheeses.

It is worth noting that in August 2025, California’s State Veterinarian ordered a statewide recall and quarantine of Sierra Nevada’s Bella Capra raw goat milk cheddar after California Department of Food and Agriculture testing found Listeria monocytogenes in the cheese. Whether this event is related to past incidents remains undetermined.

Consumers should immediately check whether they have the recalled products at home, and if so, not consume them and dispose of them properly. Retailers and food service operators should stop selling or serving the relevant products. Anyone who develops symptoms such as diarrhea, bloody stool, abdominal pain or fever after consumption should seek medical attention and inform their doctor of the consumption history.