Nine states, 13 sick, eight in the hospital, and the common thread is raw milk cheese.
Story Snapshot
- Federal agencies linked an E. coli outbreak to Graziers raw milk cheeses sold by Sierra Nevada Cheese Company.
- All interviewed patients reported eating the same brand of raw milk cheese.
- Thirteen people are sick across nine states; eight were hospitalized; several are young children.
- A recall covers multiple Graziers raw milk cheese varieties and sizes.
Officials name the source and map the spread
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration linked a multistate E. coli outbreak to Graziers raw milk cheeses sold by Sierra Nevada Cheese Company. The Food and Drug Administration identifies the strain as E. coli O26:H11 and opened outbreak file number 1419.
Cases span nine states, consistent with a product distributed through retail and food service. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports many of the sick are young children, a group at higher risk for severe illness.
The Food and Drug Administration says nine people completed exposure interviews, and all nine reported eating Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheese.
That 100 percent exposure pattern is a strong signal in foodborne investigations. It points to a common source that crossed state lines. Public health teams use this pattern, along with purchase records and lab tools, to move fast and cut risk while product remains in homes and stores.
E. coli outbreak tied to raw milk cheese hits California with multiple cases https://t.co/fYCNmpU7ZO pic.twitter.com/vmHHpk7QO5
— New York Post (@nypost) September 26, 2026
Cheeses under recall and how to check your fridge
Investigators and the company identified several Graziers raw milk cheese varieties in the recall. The list includes medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeño jack, and Monterey jack. Packages include eight-ounce and sixteen-ounce sizes, plus five-pound loaves.
The Food and Drug Administration says Sierra Nevada Cheese Company began a voluntary recall on September 25, 2026. The company told reporters that illnesses were associated with its medium cheddar, but it pulled all Graziers raw milk cheeses out of caution.
Consumers should not eat the recalled cheese. Throw it away or return it to the store. Clean knives, boards, and drawers that touched the cheese. E. coli can spread from tiny crumbs.
Restaurants and retailers should check inventory and isolate any recalled stock. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say children, older adults, and people with weak immune systems face the greatest danger from this type of bacteria.
What E. coli O26 does to the body
E. coli O26 is a Shiga toxin–producing strain. It can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that may become bloody, fever, and vomiting. Dehydration can occur fast, especially in children.
Some patients develop a serious problem called hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can damage kidneys and require hospital care.
This outbreak includes eight hospitalizations and several young children among the sick, which tracks with the known risks. Seek care if symptoms worsen or if you see blood in stool.
Raw milk cheese carries a higher baseline risk than pasteurized cheese. Pasteurization kills dangerous germs before cheese is made. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent outbreak pages show a pattern: raw dairy has driven several cheese-linked outbreaks in recent years, including events in 2024 and 2026. That history explains why agencies move quickly when interview data points to raw milk cheese as the vehicle.
What the company and agencies are doing now
Sierra Nevada Cheese Company is working with the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the recall. The Food and Drug Administration is tracing distribution and checking the production environment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is coordinating with state health departments to confirm cases and track symptom timelines.
Officials often publish more details as lab and traceback work progresses. For now, the food safety advice is clear: avoid the recalled Graziers cheeses.
Shoppers who want raw milk style without the risk should choose cheese made from pasteurized milk. You still get sharp, aged flavors across many styles.
Grocers should post recall notices where the cheese was sold. Families should talk to kids about not snacking on any unlabeled cheese from the fridge. One slice can be enough to make a child very sick.
Why this matters beyond one brand
This outbreak is not a one-off curiosity. It reminds us that raw dairy sits in a known risk zone. Federal and state teams are not anti-farm; they are anti-hospital bed.
When nine of nine interviewed patients ate the same raw milk cheese, the decision path is short. Pull the product, warn the public, and treat the sick. That is the conservative approach: protect kids, respect facts, and fix the problem at the source.
Sources:
nypost.com, fda.gov, cdc.gov, abcnews.com
