The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O26:H11 infections linked to Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheeses, with 13 illnesses, eight hospitalizations and three cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome and no deaths reported as of the Sept. 25 advisory.
FDA says cases span California, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah. All nine people interviewed reported eating the brand’s medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeño jack or Monterey jack products, sold nationwide in 8-oz and 16-oz retail packs and 5-lb food-service loaves. Sierra Nevada Cheese Company initiated a recall Sept. 24 after FDA recommended action; consumers are told not to eat, sell or serve the recalled cheeses and to discard unlabeled frozen portions if origin is unclear.
Symptoms of pathogenic E. coli can begin days after exposure and include severe cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea or vomiting; some infections progress to HUS, a form of kidney failure. The FDA investigation into the contamination source remains ongoing.
Food-safety reporters note the outbreak joins a string of raw-dairy incidents in 2025–2026. Pasteurization remains the primary public-health control for milk-borne pathogens; federal law already bars interstate raw-milk sales, while state rules on intrastate access vary widely.