The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that there’s been a spread of sickness across several states because of cheese that wasn’t pasteurized. This cheese, made by Raw Farms, made 11 people sick in five different states. Out of these, five folks ended up in the hospital, and two got a severe illness called hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can lead to very serious problems like kidney failure and damage to the brain.
This cheese used to be sold under the name Organic Pastures/Raw Farm USA. The company had to stop selling its cheddar cheese for a while because of the sickness, but they started selling it again before the problem was completely fixed. The investigation found that the sick people had eaten the Raw Farm brand raw cheddar cheese. People started getting sick between October 18, 2023, and February 5, 2024, indicating that there had been an ongoing issue at their dairy farm.
It’s likely there were more sick people than reported because some get better on their own and don’t go to the doctor to get tested for E. coli. The sick people ranged in age from 2 to 27 years old, with most of them being boys. When 10 folks were asked what they ate before getting sick, 7 said they had Raw Farms’ raw cheddar cheese.
Scientists did tests on all the sick people’s samples and found they were all the same, which means that they probably all got sick from eating the same cheese. Officials in some states also tested other Raw Farm products like milk, butter, and a drink called kefir. The tests didn’t find E. coli in those products.
Selling raw milk across state lines is against the law because it might make you sick. But this doesn’t apply to cheese, even though it can still be risky. Health experts all over the country say it’s best not to eat or drink anything made with raw milk because it can have harmful bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, and Campylobacter. Although some might worry about losing health benefits, these experts assure that pasteurization kills these bad bacteria without taking away the good things you get from dairy.
Staying safe with what we eat and drink is super important! Keep this in mind next time you’re making a choice about dairy products. Stay healthy and informed!
*Please note that any information about food safety, recalls, or health provided in this blog is for general awareness and should not replace professional advice or urgent reporting if you encounter harmful products.
Image via Raw Farm USA