Raw Farm LLC, owned by Mark McAfee, has become all too familiar to food safety officials. The company has been repeatedly linked to foodborne illness outbreaks, and since its 2020 rebrand from Organic Pastures to Raw Farm, the pattern appears to be getting worse, not better.
Still, even with that history, this latest development is striking.
On March 15, 2026 — just two days before I was scheduled to speak with TV5 Monde about Raw Farm’s troubling track record — the Food and Drug Administration announced yet another outbreak. What makes this one particularly alarming is how familiar it feels.
Once again, Raw Farm’s raw milk cheddar cheese has been identified as the likely source. Once again, the pathogen is E. coli O157:H7. Seven confirmed illnesses, and more than half are in children under the age of three. This isn’t just another outbreak; it’s a repeat.
A Pattern That’s Hard to Ignore
A quick look at Raw Farm’s outbreak history over just the past three years paints a grim picture—one where serious illnesses are not isolated incidents, but recurring events:
- May 2023: Campylobacter outbreak linked to raw milk
- August 2023: Salmonella outbreak linked to unpasteurized cheese
- October 2023: Major Salmonella outbreak tied to raw milk, largely affecting children
- February 2024: First E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to raw cheddar cheese
- November 2024: Bird flu detected in raw milk (initial recall)
- December 2024: Expanded bird flu recall; animal deaths linked to consumption
- March 2026: Second E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, again, linked to raw cheddar cheese
The 2024 Cheddar Cheese Outbreak
The parallels to the 2024 outbreak are hard to ignore.
In February 2024, the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigated a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 linked to Raw Farm’s raw cheddar cheese, including both block and shredded varieties.
Eleven people across five states fell ill. Five were hospitalized. Two developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe and potentially life-threatening complication that can lead to kidney failure.
Raw Farm initiated a recall on February 16, 2024—but then abruptly withdrew it just ten days later, despite federal agencies identifying its cheese as the confirmed source of the outbreak.
The 2026 Cheddar Cheese Outbreak: Déjà Vu
Now, in 2026, history is repeating itself.
Federal and state health officials are investigating a new multistate outbreak, again tied to Raw Farm’s raw cheddar cheese. At least seven people across California, Florida, and Texas have been infected with E. coli O157:H7. More than half are children under the age of three.
The FDA has once again identified the cheese as the “likely source” and recommended a voluntary recall. Raw Farm has refused.
Growing Alarm and Calls for Actions
This refusal has not gone unnoticed.
Members of the Congressional Food Safety Caucus — Rosa DeLauro, CT, Sanford D. Bishop Jr., GA, Jan Schakowsky, IL, Chellie Pingree, ME, André Carson, IN, Alma Adams, NC, Mike Quigley, IL, Seth Moulton, MA, Grace Meng, NY, and Mark Takano, CA — are now urging the FDA to take the rare step of issuing a mandatory recall. Their message is clear: remove the product from store shelves — NOW.
In a joint statement, they emphasized that multiple people have already been hospitalized, with young children disproportionately affected:
“Two people have been hospitalized because of this outbreak, with several more falling ill. More than half of the illnesses were in children aged 3 or younger. This cannot stand. If Raw Farm refuses to take unsafe products off the market, FDA must use its mandatory recall authority and take them to court. A company should not be able to flatly refuse a recall recommendation. That puts consumers health at risk to protect the profits of a corporation.
FDA must act so consumers are not subject to the whims of corporations that would put their profits over public health. And if mandatory authority needs to be strengthened, the Food Safety Caucus stands ready to tackle this issue at FDA’s request.
Secretary Kennedy’s connection to Raw Farm and FDA’s lack of action here raise serious questions. At bare minimum, this is a potentially concerning conflict of interest. At worst, Secretary Kennedy is once again playing dangerous games with American’s health.”
Raw Farm is the largest producer of raw, unpasteurized dairy products in the United States, with a loyal consumer base that includes high-profile figures such as U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
This latest outbreak raises uncomfortable questions about enforcement, accountability, and whether existing food safety authorities are being fully utilized. At some point, recurring outbreaks stop looking like bad luck and start looking like a systemic failure.
The same product. The same pathogen. The same consequences, especially for children. How many outbreaks will it take before decisive regulatory action is taken?
