Sierra Nevada Cheese Company recalled all of its Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheeses on Sept. 24
after 13 people in nine states became sick with E. coli O26:H11, the Food and Drug Administration said.
Eight of the 13 were hospitalized. The recall covers medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeno jack and Monterey jack in 8-ounce and 16-ounce retail packages and 5-pound loaves for food service, according to the FDA’s outbreak page. The cheeses were sold nationwide and online. The FDA advised people not to eat, serve or sell them.
Where the E. Coli Illness Occurred
The 13 illnesses were reported in California, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada,
Oregon, Tennessee and Utah, the FDA said. California and Nevada each had three cases and the other seven states one each, according to Fox Business. Three patients developed hemolytic
uremic syndrome, a complication that can cause kidney failure, permanent health problems or death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No one has died.
The CDC’s investigation page said more than half the patients are children 5 or younger. Ages
range from 1 to 58, with a median of 5. Of the patients, 62% are female. The CDC said the true number of sick people is likely much higher than 13. Illnesses began between July 7 and Aug. 26, so any illnesses after Aug. 26 may not have been reported yet. Health officials interviewed nine of the patients. All nine said they ate Graziers cheese.
The CDC said that share, 100%, compares with 4.9% of people in population surveys who report eating raw milk cheese. Genetic testing of the bacteria showed the patients’ samples were closely related.
What the Company Said
The FDA notified Sierra Nevada Cheese Company on Sept. 24, and the company agreed to a full recall that day. The FDA’s index of outbreak investigations lists the notice as posted Sept. 25.
The company told ABC News that the illnesses were associated with its medium cheddar but that it recalled every variety “out of an abundance of caution” because investigators had not
identified a lot or date code. The company is based in Willows, California, and sells its cheese online, through a store in Willows and through wholesale and food service, according to its website. Hoodline reported that Ben Gregersen and John Dundon founded it in 1997.
The company recalled another product last year. In August 2025 the California Department of Food and Agriculture announced a statewide recall and quarantine of its Bella Capra raw goat
cheddar over Listeria, with no illnesses reported, according to the department.
What to Do With Recalled Cheese
The CDC said the cheeses have a long shelf life, so people should check refrigerators and freezers. It told consumers to throw the cheese away or return it for a refund. The CDC’s advice is to “choose pasteurized milk and dairy products.”
Symptoms can begin “anywhere from a few days after consuming contaminated food or up to
nine days later,” the FDA said. The CDC said to see a doctor for diarrhea with a fever above 102 degrees, diarrhea lasting more than two days, bloody diarrhea, vomiting so severe that a person cannot keep liquids down, or signs of dehydration.
How This Outbreak Compares With Earlier Raw Milk Cheese
The Graziers outbreak hospitalized a higher share of patients than two recent raw cheddar outbreaks the CDC investigated. A 2024 outbreak tied to Raw Farm cheddar sickened 11 people and hospitalized five, or 45%, and two developed the kidney complication, according to the CDC.
A 2026 Raw Farm outbreak sickened nine and hospitalized three, or 33%, and one developed the complication, the CDC reported. In the Graziers outbreak, 62% were hospitalized and 23% developed the complication. The patients also differ in age. The median age was 25 in 2024 and 2 in the 2026 Raw Farm outbreak. In the Graziers outbreak it is 5.
The 60-day Aging Rule and the Legal Debate
Federal rules allow cheese made from raw milk to be sold if it is aged at least 60 days at a temperature above 35 degrees Fahrenheit, according to William Marler, a food safety attorney
who represents plaintiffs in outbreak cases. Marler said he is preparing a petition asking the FDA to require warning labels on cheeses made from unpasteurized milk. The FDA has tested cheese under the rule. Of 1,606 raw milk cheese samples aged 60 days, each pathogen the agency
looked for appeared in less than 1%, according to the FDA’s sampling summary.
The timeline shows how long the cheese circulated. The first illness began July 7. The last reported illness began Aug. 26, 50 days later. The recall came 29 days after that last reported onset and 79 days after the first. The FDA said its investigation is continuing.
