E. coli outbreak was linked to raw cheddar cheese. This has allegedly sickened seven people across multiple states. Federal regulators on Sunday announced that an E. coli outbreak infected seven people in three states and it has been traced to raw cheddar cheese product. Individuals who have been affected are children, ages 3 or younger across California, Texas, and Florida. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) noted that out of the seven cases, fiver were in California, one in Florida and another in Texas. FDA said, "The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections. As of March 14, 2026, a total of 7 confirmed infections have been reported from three states."The officials have been able to trace the California producer RAW FARM, which is a family-owned company and is recognized as nation's largest producer of raw dairy products. FDA also noted that RAW FARM has declined to issue a voluntary recall despite agency's recommendation. What Is RAW FARM's Response To The E.coli Outbreak?The dairy farm denied any such allegations on its social media page. On Monday, it claimed that the health agency has made "false allegations" against the brand and that no tests have confirmed a positive match for the E.coli strain. The statement by RAW FARM noted: "We disagree 100% with the allegations made by the FDA and CDC," the company said. "All of our products have been CONFIRMED to be negative for all harmful bacteria, including Ecoli 0157-H7. FDA has found NO Raw Farm products to be tested positive for Ecoli in the marketplace.""Inaccurate statements made by the FDA and CDC linking our brand to an outbreak is egregious and extreme harassment towards our brand," it added.Read: Does Heating Food Kill E.Coli? What Have The Tests Shown?However, the FDA confirmed that no RAW FARM-brand cheddar cheese products have been tested positive for E.coli. State partners have begun collecting product samples. FDA added that the investigators were able to track the infections using epidemiological data, which is a scientific method that analyzes the distribution, patterns, and causes of health-related events. "Epidemiologic evidence indicates that RAW FARM-brand raw cheddar cheese products made by RAW FARM, LLC are the likely source of this outbreak," the agency said.Of the three individuals who were interviewed, all reported eating RAW FARM-brand cheese, noted the federal regulators. They also added that local officials are working to gather more information for the other four cases.As of now, two patients have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. While the company denied FDA's allegations, the agency released a notice urging consumers and retailers to exercise caution with the cheese and to sanitize any surface to prevent cross-contamination. What Is E. Coli?Escherichia coli, or E.coli is a bacterium that lives in the human intestine and is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness in the US and the UK. In June 2024, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned that E.coli cases reported across the UK were part of a single outbreak. It also issued a list of recalled products to parents as the outbreak spread.There are multiple species of E.coli, and some of them are also harmless. However, there are others that can result in mild symptoms, including nausea, fatigue, and diarrhea, while some can be even more serious and can lead to life-threatening symptoms.