Cheese From CA Company Linked To Serious Illness: Health Officials

FRESNO, CA — The California Department of Public Health is warning the public about a cheese from a Northern California company that has been linked to a serious illness.

Cheddar cheese from RAW FARM, a company with stores in the Bay Area, including San Leandro, has been linked with an outbreak strain of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, according to the California Department of Public Health.

The illness can cause diarrhea, often bloody, vomiting and abdominal cramps. Symptoms may start a few days after eating the product. While most people get better on their own within a week, some people may develop stronger symptoms and require hospitalization, health officials said.

In severe cases, it can result in death, according to health officials.

Health officials have recommended RAW FARM pull the tainted cheese from the market, health officials said, but the company has declined to do so.

In a video posted ot the company's website, RAW FARM President Aaron McAfee denied health officials' claims, saying "based on the evidence, based on the facts that we've reviewed since Friday when we heard about this, no, we disagree."

"That is why for the first time in our company history, we declined a voluntary recall," McAfee said. "In the past, we've had recalls; we've owned it, whether we agreed or disagreed weve always learned something, and we’re proud of it."

This time, it’s different, McAfee said.

RAW FARM tests all products before releasing them to the public, including doing environmental swabs. The company also tests its cows, McAfee said.

“We test more than anyone because we understand that our milk is truly raw, it’s not thermalized,” McAfee said. It has all the wonderful, beneficial bacteria that you, our consumer, demands, and we understand the risks that are associated with that.”

Seven people in three states have gotten ill since March 13, after consuming the cheddar cheese from RAW FARM, health officials said, including five California residents.

Of those seven, four of the sick were children under the age of five. Two have been hospitalized, but no deaths or serious complications from the illness have been reported, health officials said.

The CPH and other health agencies are investigating the outbreak. At this time, no products at RAW FARM have tested positive for E. coli, health officials said.

"The investigation is ongoing to determine the source of contamination and whether additional products are linked to illnesses," FDA officials said.

The CDPH offered the following tips to avoid getting sick:

• Avoid eating RAW FARM-branded block or shredded raw cheddar cheese while the investigation into the outbreak is ongoing.
• Consumers should wash and sanitize surfaces that have come in contact with the cheese
• Call a health care provider if symptoms arise, especially after eating RAW FARM cheese.