Cheese from the country’s largest raw milk distributor have been linked to a multistate E coli outbreak.

Raw cheddar cheese from the California-based company Raw Farm has been identified as the “likely source” of several E coli O157:H7 infections in California, Florida and Texas, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), PBS News reported, though no Raw Farm products have tested positive for E coli.

The bacteria strain can cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps and acute kidney failure in rare cases, leading to hospitalization and possibly death.

So far, seven people have fallen ill between September 2025 and February. The majority of illnesses were in children aged three and younger.

Raw Farm has since declined to voluntarily recall its products despite such reccomendations from the FDA.

Kaleigh Stanziani, a spokesperson for Raw Farm, said the company “100% DISAGREE WITH THE FDA’S FALSE “POSSIBLE LINK”, AND EXTREME ALLEGATIONS”, in an email to the Guardian.

Despite reporting from several outlets, Stanziani said that all Raw Farm products have “been CONFIRMED to be negative for all harmful bacteria, including E. coli O157-H7” and denied that California is taking any action.

The latest update comes after the state of California recalled several raw milk products from Raw Farms after at least two retail samples tested positive for bird flu in December 2024, Reuters reported. Retail testing performed by the Santa Clara county officials detected the infected samples.

Bird flu has been steadily on the rise since 2022, particularly impacting poultry and dairy cows. California first detected bird flu in dairy cows, with 16 additional states also having infections.

The Centers for Disease Control has long warned customers to avoid raw milk products, which are more likely to contain dangerous bacteria.

But raw milk consumption has increased in recent years, concerning health experts. Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr a proponent of raw milk, has pledged to support farmers who sell it.

In fact, Raw Farm CEO, Mark McAfee, has declared that Kennedy Jr is an longtime customer, Mother Jones reported.