March 18, 2026
This cheddar comes with drama
FDA links raw cheese to outbreak; Makers "100% disagree," refuse recall
Cheddar Showdown: FDA says outbreak, Raw Farm says “Absolutely no” as parents panic and purists spar
TLDR: FDA links Raw Farm’s raw cheddar to an E. coli outbreak affecting seven people, including young children; the company refuses a recall and denies the link. Commenters split between safety-first alarm and raw-cheese defenders (taste! EU standards!), with political jabs and memes turning a food warning into a full-on culture war.
Grab your popcorn and maybe a pasteurizer. The FDA says Raw Farm’s raw (unpasteurized) cheddar is tied to a multi‑state E. coli outbreak—seven sick, four of them toddlers—and asked for a voluntary recall. Raw Farm fired back on social media with a hard “we 100% disagree” and a video that basically says “Absolutely no,” insisting their own tests show no E. coli and zero customer complaints. Cue comment section meltdown.
The loudest split: germ‑guards vs. cheese purists. Safety‑first readers point to Raw Farm’s long rap sheet of past outbreaks and recalls, with one crowd chanting “protect the kids” and linking lawyer Bill Marler’s tally of incidents. Others push a taste defense, joking that if pasteurization doesn’t change nutrition, maybe raw just tastes better—and that’s the hill they’ll die on (hopefully not literally). A Euro‑angle pops up too: some say they’d never drink raw milk but feel raw‑milk cheese—especially in Europe—“seems safe,” sparking a USA vs. EU standards skirmish.
Then there’s the political spice. One commenter cracks that with “RFK Jr in charge,” who even knows what to believe, turning a cheese fight into conspiracy tapas. And for dessert: meme‑energy like “this isn’t a Yelp review,” dunking on armchair experts. Bottom line: the FDA’s notice says hold the raw cheddar; Raw Farm’s posts say keep slicing. The comments? Extra sharp.
Key Points
- •FDA linked Raw Farm’s raw cheddar cheese to a multistate Shiga toxin-producing E. coli outbreak with seven cases across CA, FL, and TX.
- •Two hospitalizations occurred; four cases were in children aged three or younger; no deaths reported.
- •Genetic testing indicates cases are highly related; all three fully interviewed patients reported eating Raw Farm raw cheddar.
- •State partners are testing cheese samples; FDA recommended a voluntary market removal, which Raw Farm declined.
- •Raw Farm disputes the FDA’s findings, citing internal tests and no illness reports; the company has prior outbreak links per attorney Bill Marler, including a 2024 Salmonella event with at least 171 illnesses.