About the Recalled Products
The recall covers Graziers Raw Milk Cheese in all available formats, sold nationwide through distributors, retailers, and direct customers. Affected retail packages include 8-ounce squares of Monterey Jack (UPC 6-87652-16400-9), Jalapeño Jack (UPC 6-87652-16403-0), Medium Cheddar (UPC 6-87652-16506-8), and Sharp Cheddar (UPC 6-87652-16507-5), as well as a 16-ounce brick of Medium Cheddar (UPC 6-87652-16501-3). Bulk formats including 5-pound loaves and 40-pound blocks are also included in the recall.
Latest Updates
Sierra Nevada Cheese Company announced the recall on September 28, 2026, and the FDA published the notice on September 29, 2026, citing an active multistate outbreak investigation into E. coli O26:H11 infections linked to the company’s raw milk cheese products [1]. The FDA and CDC, working with state and local partners, identified 13 confirmed cases across nine states — California, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, and Utah — with the last documented illness onset on August 26, 2026 [2]. Of nine patients interviewed, all nine reported consuming Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheese before becoming ill — a 100% interview match rate [2].
The E. coli O26:H11 Strain
E. coli O26:H11 is a Shiga toxin-producing strain — part of the same category of pathogens as E. coli O157:H7, which has caused some of the deadliest foodborne illness outbreaks in U.S. history. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) strains attack the lining of the digestive tract and, in severe cases, release toxins that damage the kidneys and other organs.
Three of the thirteen confirmed patients in this outbreak developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a life-threatening complication in which red blood cells are destroyed and kidney function is impaired. HUS is most common in young children and can cause permanent kidney damage, dialysis dependence, or death even in patients who survive the acute phase of illness.
Illnesses and Hospitalizations
Thirteen people were confirmed ill across nine states, with eight requiring hospitalization — a hospitalization rate of more than 60 percent. Three of those hospitalized developed hemolytic uremic syndrome. No deaths have been reported.
The geographic spread of confirmed cases — from California and Nevada to Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee — reflects a product distributed nationally through multiple commercial channels. Cases in states far from the California production facility indicate that contaminated product reached consumers across a wide distribution network before the recall was initiated.
The Raw Milk Risk Factor
Raw milk cheeses are made from unpasteurized milk, which has not undergone the heat treatment that eliminates pathogens including E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria. Federal regulations require hard raw milk cheeses to be aged at least 60 days before sale — a process intended to reduce pathogen survival — but aging does not reliably eliminate Shiga toxin-producing E. coli strains, which can persist in cheese environments throughout the aging period.
The FDA has long identified raw milk and raw milk products as carrying elevated risk for serious foodborne illness. Consumers who purchased Graziers cheese specifically because of its artisan, grass-fed, or natural attributes had no way of knowing the product harbored a pathogen capable of causing kidney failure.
Can I File a Lawsuit?
If you or a family member was sickened by E. coli after consuming Graziers Raw Milk Cheese, you may have a product liability claim against Sierra Nevada Cheese Company. Contact an attorney promptly, as state filing deadlines apply.
What to Do Now
Do not eat any Graziers Raw Milk Cheese product — discard it or return it to the retailer for a full refund. Contact Sierra Nevada Cheese Company at (530) 934-8662 or recallinfo@sierranevadacheese.com (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. PT) with any questions.
References
1. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/sierra-nevada-cheese-company-recalls-graziers-raw-milk-cheese-because-possible-health-risk
2. https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-e-coli-o26h11-raw-milk-cheese-september-2026
3. https://www.foxbusiness.com/retail/e-coli-outbreak-linked-raw-milk-cheese-leads-13-illnesses-eight-hospitalizations-across-us-fda