About the Recalled Product
The recalled product is Family Farmstead Dairy Raw Mild Cheddar Cheese (also labeled as Family Farmstead A2 Raw Cheddar) sold in 8 oz packages with lot code and best-by date 7/22/27. No other Family Farmstead Dairy products are included in this recall.
Latest Updates
Family Farmstead Dairy announced the voluntary recall on October 15, 2026, after a laboratory in Maryland isolated E. coli O26:H11 and O45:H2 from two separate samples of the 8 oz package [1]. The FDA notice was subsequently updated to correct the initial serotype listing and to expand the distribution pattern — the product was confirmed at grocers in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, and Massachusetts, with the possibility of additional states through downstream distributors [2]. No illnesses had been reported to the company or the FDA as of the recall announcement, and the company stated it is working to identify the cause and implement corrective action [3].
Shiga Toxin-Producing E. Coli in Raw Milk Cheese
Raw milk cheeses — those produced from unpasteurized milk — carry inherent pathogen risk because the thermal processing step that kills Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in conventional dairy is absent from production. When STEC contaminates raw milk or the processing environment, the pathogen can survive and persist in aged cheese at concentrations capable of causing serious illness.
The two serotypes identified in Family Farmstead’s cheddar — O26:H11 and O45:H2 — are both recognized non-O157 STEC strains associated with human illness, hemolytic uremic syndrome, and, in severe cases, death. Non-O157 STEC strains are often underdiagnosed because many clinical laboratories do not routinely test for them unless specifically requested.
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Risk
STEC infection causes diarrhea that is frequently bloody, with onset typically three to four days after exposure. In a subset of cases — particularly in young children and elderly adults — the infection progresses to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening form of kidney failure that can require dialysis, blood transfusions, and extended hospitalization.
HUS is one of the leading causes of acute kidney failure in children in the United States, and E. coli-linked HUS cases carry a mortality risk even with modern supportive care. A consumer purchasing artisan raw milk cheddar has no way to determine at point of sale whether the milk or processing environment that produced it tested positive for STEC.
Seven-State Distribution with Potential for Wider Reach
The confirmed distribution footprint — New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, and Massachusetts — reflects a regional grocery distribution network spanning the entire northeastern United States. The company’s acknowledgment that downstream distributors may have moved product into additional states means consumers who purchased Family Farmstead raw cheddar outside these seven states may also have been exposed.
The Maryland testing that triggered the recall demonstrates the challenge of STEC detection in distributed dairy products: contamination was identified through state-level routine sampling, not through the company’s own quality assurance process, and only after the product had already reached retailers across multiple states.
Reported Illnesses
No confirmed illnesses had been reported to Family Farmstead Dairy or the FDA as of the October 15, 2026 recall announcement. STEC’s incubation period of two to eight days, combined with the difficulty of connecting a later gastrointestinal illness to a specific dairy purchase, means confirmed cases may emerge after the recall date.
Can I File a Lawsuit?
If you or a family member developed an E. coli infection after consuming Family Farmstead Dairy Raw Mild Cheddar Cheese with best-by date 7/22/27, you may have a product liability claim against Family Farmstead Dairy, LLC. Contact an attorney promptly, as state filing deadlines apply.
What to Do Now
Do not eat any Family Farmstead Dairy Raw Mild Cheddar Cheese bearing lot code and best-by date 7/22/27 — discard the product or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Contact Family Farmstead Dairy at (607) 397-4044 (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET) or at customerservice@familyfarmsteaddairy.com with questions, or call the FDA at 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) to report illness or recalled product still on shelves.
References
1. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/family-farmstead-dairy-announces-recall-raw-mild-cheddar-cheese-due-potential-e-coli-o26h11-and
2. https://www.fox5ny.com/news/cheddar-cheese-recalled-across-several-states-over-dangerous-e-coli
3. https://www.fox13news.com/news/cheddar-cheese-recalled-across-several-states-over-dangerous-e-coli