Federal food authorities said they’re investigating a growing E. Coli outbreak this month tied to Raw Farm, a dairy farm in Fresno commonly described as the country’s largest raw dairy producer. But the company is fighting the claims, saying officials have provided no proof that their products are to blame.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said last week the California farm’s raw cheddar cheese has now given the digestive bacteria to nine people across three states — seven of whom are in California — from September to February. Over half of the cases involved children under 5, and three were hospitalized.
One case even developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure, the FDA said.
The authorities asked Raw Farm, which has 1,200 cows across 800 acres, to recall the product. The owners are refusing and dispute the FDA’s “extreme allegations.”
“Inaccurate statements made by the FDA and CDC linking our brand to an outbreak is egregious and extreme harassment towards our brand,” the company posted on social media March 16.
In a video update last week, the farmer’s president Aaron McAfee claimed that recent testing showed that “100% of the results are negative” from retail, from their own food safety team or from the government’s sampling.
The farm’s technicians conducted 3,238 tests specifically for E. coli from September to March, he had told the New York Times.
The FDA has only said it “initiated” an on-site inspection last week and will update its advisory once more information is available.
The farm takes food safety very seriously, McAfee told The Atlantic, and he defended its cheese, where one block reportedly costs $16 and is sold at high-end grocery chain Erewhon. He noted the farm has voluntarily pulled its products multiple times in the past.
In this case, however, McAfee said the testing doesn’t bear the government’s claims and there’s only “circumstantial evidence.”
The FDA has yet to legally force Raw Farms to recall the cheese. The farm has supporters in Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s circles, including his 2024 presidential running mate Nicole Shanahan, who visited the farm during the campaign.
Kennedy is a champion of raw milk as well and has railed against the FDA’s “aggressive suppression” of the drink, despite doctors’ warnings that it can spur food-borne illnesses.
Raw Farm is no stranger to criticizing food health regulators. In 2024, the state suspended the farm from distributing products after finding bird flu in them. While the farm voluntarily pulled its products, CEO Mark McAfee still alleged it was a political witch hunt, he told the Post then.
“For the last 40 years the FDA has hated raw milk. There is Bizarre crazy suppression of raw milk anywhere any way they can do it,” he said.
