Why are food recalls increasing?
E. coli, metals and even dead bats have been found in the recalled foods. In fact, food recalls are on the rise. But it could actually be a good sign. Here’s why:
america today
As the outbreak linked to raw dairy products continues, more people have fallen ill and at least one person has developed serious complications.
More cases of E. coli poisoning, a foodborne illness, have been traced to unpasteurized cheese from the Raw Farm brand, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in an update Thursday, March 26. Officials say a total of nine cases have been confirmed in three states, more than half of them children under the age of five.
Three people were hospitalized, and one developed a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which causes kidney damage and dysfunction.
The affected cheeses have not yet been removed from the market because Law Farm, which has been implicated in multiple high-profile outbreaks, has refused FDA requests to recall the products, officials said. The FDA is coordinating on-site inspections and is awaiting further sample testing to confirm the source.
Here’s what you need to know about the outbreak.
Which cheeses are affected?
The cause of this outbreak has been traced to a cheddar cheese product sold by a brand called Raw Farm. This includes:
- Original flavored raw farm cheddar cheese.
- All size packages of raw farm block and shredded cheese.
- In 2025, two people were reported to have gotten sick from Raw Farm brand raw milk, but those products have already been removed from shelves, according to the CDC.
In which states are E. coli cases occurring? View map
As of March 26, nine people, including two in three states, had fallen ill, two of whom were hospitalized. More than half of the incidents involved children under the age of five.
- California (7 cases)
- Florida (1 item)
- Texas (1 item)
What to do with affected cheddar cheese
Law Farm rejected the FDA’s request for a voluntary recall of its cheese products, a decision that drew criticism from the Congressional Food Safety Caucus, which has called on the agency to use its authority to force recalls.
While the investigation is ongoing, the FDA and CDC recommend that affected cheeses not be eaten or thrown away. Surfaces that may have come into contact with cheese should be washed and disinfected with hot, soapy water.
What is Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC)? Is it more dangerous?
The outbreak strain of E. coli associated with this cheese has been identified as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). According to the FDA, this type of E. coli is known to cause a serious kidney disease called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
According to the Mayo Clinic, children are more likely to get HUS, which damages blood vessels. This destroys red blood cells, leading to anemia and blood clots in blood vessels. These blood clots can damage the kidneys and other organs, causing kidney failure and even death.
As of Thursday, March 26, one case of HUS has been reported to FDA. No deaths were recorded.
Symptoms of E. coli poisoning
According to the CDC, symptoms of E. coli poisoning appear two to eight days after exposure and usually last about a week. These include:
- Diarrhea and fever above 102°F
- Diarrhea that lasts for more than 3 days
- bloody diarrhea
- I’m vomiting so much that I can’t keep fluids down
- Signs of dehydration such as dry mouth, decreased urination, and dizziness.
- Abdominal cramps, pain, and bloating.
According to the Mayo Clinic, additional symptoms of HUS include:
- Pale skin or loss of color.
- Extreme fatigue.
- Bruises easily.
- Abnormal bleeding, such as bleeding from the nose or mouth.
- Decreased urination or blood in the urine.
- Swelling of the legs, feet, or ankles called edema.
- Confusion, seizures, or strokes.
- High blood pressure.
What you need to know about raw/unpasteurized dairy products
Raw Farm, located in Fresno, California, sells dairy products that are raw, unpasteurized, or unheated to kill harmful bacteria.
The process of pasteurization became routine in the U.S. commercial milk supply in the 1920s and became widespread by the 1950s. As a result, the spread of diseases commonly spread through milk has been reduced.
Misinformation about the process has led some people to believe that pasteurized milk is less nutritious or better for people with lactose intolerance, but pasteurization does not significantly compromise milk’s nutritional value or content. In some states, it is illegal to sell raw milk directly to consumers.
Raw milk can contain many harmful bacteria, including Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria are known to cause many diseases such as listeriosis, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, diphtheria, Guillain-Barre syndrome, miscarriage, brucellosis, chronic inflammatory conditions, reactive arthritis, and death.
U.S. agents call RFK Jr. to recall raw dairy products.
On March 20, Food Safety Party members released a joint statement by 10 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, calling for FDA intervention. Law Farm, the largest commercial producer of unpasteurized dairy products in the United States, has been the source of several outbreaks over the past two decades.
“FDA has determined that raw cheese products are a likely source of an ongoing E. coli outbreak and has therefore recommended that Raw Farms voluntarily discontinue the sale of raw cheese products,” the committee said in a March 20 statement. “Raw Farm has been rejected. We have a message for Raw Farm and the FDA: Take it off the shelves now.”
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has historically been a supporter of raw dairy products, particularly with his ties to raw farms. In June 2024, Law Farm bragged about the RFK campaign’s visit to its farm, saying RFK “protected the interests of the American people.” That same month, Kennedy publicly stated that he only drinks raw milk.
“Secretary Kennedy’s ties to the law firm and FDA’s lack of action here raise serious questions. At the very least, this is a potentially concerning conflict of interest. At worst, Secretary Kennedy is once again playing dangerously against the health of Americans,” the Food Safety Executive Group statement said.
In a March 26 update, the FDA announced that it had begun working with state partners to conduct on-site inspections of law farms. HHS pointed to the March 26 statement when contacted by USA TODAY on March 27.
UAS TODAY reached out to Law Firm for comment on March 27, but did not receive a response.
