---
title: E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Raw Milk Cheese Sickens 13, Mostly Children 5 and Under
description: CDC says most of the sick are children 5 or younger. All Graziers raw milk cheeses are recalled, and FDA said in 2015 E. coli can survive 60-day aging.
author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2026-10-02T11:03:03.499Z
updated: 2026-10-02T11:03:03.515Z
canonical: https://richhealthmagazine.com/article/raw-milk-cheese-e-coli-outbreak-graziers-recall
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/pexels-close-up-of-cheddar-and-colby-jack-cheese-slices-on-a-wooden-6004145.jpg
categories: Everyday Wellness
content_type: News
region: United States
publication: Rich Health Magazine
schema_type: Article
---

Thirteen people in nine states are sick in an outbreak of E. coli O26:H11 linked to raw milk cheese, and more than half of them are children 5 years old or younger, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in an outbreak notice posted Sept. 25. Eight people have been hospitalized, and three have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a form of kidney failure. No deaths have been reported, and the investigation is still open.

The patients range in age from 1 to 58, with a median age of 5, and their illnesses started between July 7 and Aug. 26, 2026. All nine people interviewed reported eating Sierra Nevada Cheese Company's Graziers raw milk cheese, according to the CDC. The Food and Drug Administration lists cases in California, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah, and still counted 13 illnesses as of Sept. 29.

The FDA says it contacted Sierra Nevada Cheese Company, which is based in Willows, California, on Sept. 24 to tell it about the outbreak and recommend a recall. The company agreed that same day and started a recall of all Graziers raw milk cheeses, and it is working with the FDA.

## All Graziers Raw Milk Cheeses Are Recalled Nationwide

Sierra Nevada Cheese Company is recalling every Graziers raw milk variety: Monterey Jack, Jalapeño Jack, Medium Cheddar and Sharp Cheddar, in 8-ounce squares, 16-ounce bricks, 5-pound loaves and 40-pound blocks. The cheeses were distributed nationwide through distributors, retailers and direct customers, according to the company's recall notice, which the FDA posted Sept. 29. The CDC notes that the products have a long shelf life, so it is worth checking your refrigerator. The recall notice lists these UPC codes for the 8-ounce packages: 6-87652-16400-9 for Monterey Jack, 6-87652-16403-0 for Jalapeño Jack, 6-87652-16506-8 for Medium Cheddar and 6-87652-16507-5 for Sharp Cheddar. The 16-ounce Medium Cheddar is 6-87652-16501-3, and the company's recall line is (530) 934-8662.

The CDC tells anyone who has the recalled cheese not to eat it and to throw it away or return it. The agency also tells consumers to choose pasteurized milk and dairy products, and says that is especially important for children under 5.

## The FDA Said in 2015 That E. Coli O157:H7 Can Survive 60 Days of Aging in Cheddar

Federal rules keep most unpasteurized milk products out of interstate commerce but make an exception for certain cheeses that are cured instead. Cheddar made from raw milk can be sold across state lines if it is cured at no less than 35°F for at least 60 days. Marler Clark, a food safety law firm that represents people sickened in foodborne outbreaks, said in a release that the Graziers cheese "was aged at least 60 days, as federal law requires of a raw milk cheese, and the package said so."

In a 2015 notice asking the public to comment on the 60-day aging rule, the FDA wrote that "[pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7 can survive a 60-day aging period in a hard cheese such as Cheddar cheese](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2015-08-03/html/2015-18972.htm)." In the same notice, the agency cited 65 outbreaks linked to cheese made from unpasteurized milk, which caused 641 illnesses and 131 hospitalizations. The agency took comments until Nov. 2, 2015, and Marler Clark says the request drew 75 comments and no proposed rule.

The FDA's surveillance sampling of 1,606 raw milk cheeses aged 60 days, collected in fiscal years 2014 to 2016, found each disease-causing pathogen it tested for in less than 1% of samples, and generic E. coli in 5.4%.

In 2025, the Washington State Department of Health linked 10 cases, nine in Washington and one in Oregon, to raw milk cheese from Twin Sisters Creamery that had been "aged at least 60 days, as required by law." That cheese was recalled Oct. 24, 2025.

## A Food Safety Lawyer Has Drafted a Petition for a Raw Milk Cheese Warning Label

Bill Marler, the firm's managing partner, has posted a 22-page draft citizen petition asking the FDA to require a warning on cheese made from unpasteurized milk. His proposed wording reads: "WARNING: This product is made from unpasteurized (raw) milk and may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, older adults, pregnant women, and persons with weakened immune systems." Unpasteurized juice already has to carry a federal warning that the product "has not been pasteurized and, therefore, may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems."

Marler also wants placards at counters where cheese is cut to order, the same rule for imported cheese and online sellers, and an exemption for pasteurized cheese or cheese made by a validated equivalent process. He asks the FDA to finish, within a year, the reevaluation of the 60-day rule it announced in 2013, and to publish its sampling data.

"I am not asking FDA to ban anything," Marler said. "Adults who want raw milk cheese can keep buying it."

Marler is asking for feedback on his draft by email until Friday, Oct. 9, and plans to file it with the FDA in October under the federal rule for citizen petitions. Once the petition is filed, Marler says, anyone can comment on it formally at regulations.gov, and the FDA must respond within 180 days.

## FAQ

**Q: Is aged raw milk cheese safe to eat?**
The FDA's 2015 notice says that research and a literature review show that "pathogens can survive the 60-day aging process for cheeses manufactured using unpasteurized milk." For soft-ripened cheese, the FDA said a risk assessment it ran with Health Canada suggested the 60-day aging period "may increase the risk of listeriosis" by giving Listeria monocytogenes, if present, more time to multiply. The CDC advises choosing pasteurized dairy, especially for children under 5.

**Q: Who should avoid raw milk cheese?**
The Washington State Department of Health advises people who are pregnant, newborns, people aged 65 and older and people with weakened immune systems to avoid any cheese made with unpasteurized milk unless it is heated to 165°F or until steaming hot.

**Q: Can you get E. coli from cheese?**
Yes. In the Graziers outbreak, the CDC reported that whole genome sequencing showed bacteria from sick people's samples were "closely related genetically," alongside interviews in which every person asked said they had eaten the cheese.

**Q: When should a child with E. coli symptoms see a doctor?**
The FDA says symptoms can start anywhere from a few days to up to nine days after eating contaminated food. The Washington State Department of Health advises calling a health care provider for diarrhea with a fever higher than 102°F, diarrhea that lasts more than three days and is not improving, bloody diarrhea, or "so much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down."