Of the seven illnesses identified so far, four are in children age 3 or younger.

The Food and Drug Administration has linked cheddar cheese made from raw (unpasteurized) milk to a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. But the cheese’s maker, Raw Farm, is rejecting the regulator’s findings and refusing to voluntarily recall its cheese.

In an outbreak investigation notice, the FDA said seven cases have been identified in three states: California (five cases), Florida (one case), and Texas (one case). Of the seven cases, two required hospitalization. Four of the seven cases were in children age 3 or younger who are at higher risk of severe illness. No deaths have been reported.

The onset of the seven illnesses spanned September of last year to as recently as February 13. Genetic testing of the *E. coli *in each case found they were highly related and, thus, likely from a common source. Of the three cases that health officials have been able to fully interview about their potential exposures, all three said they had eaten Raw Farm-branded raw cheddar cheese.

  • SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world
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    10 hours ago

    I don’t know why federal regulators think it’s their job to regulate products that fall under their jurisdiction.

    Don’t they know that in a true capitalistic free market if companies try to kill their customers those customers will go somewhere else so said companies would never do that?

  • Swordgeek@lemmy.ca
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    10 hours ago

    “Raw Farm has been associated with over a dozen other outbreaks and many recalls in the last 20 years…”

    Holy shit, they’re not even trying to make a safe product!

  • HeyJoe@lemmy.world
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    11 hours ago

    What the hell do they do if they don’t comply? Is this a first? Also they estamblished a connection, but were they able to test any of the cheese its self? I say if they don’t recall they should be fully responsible for the health or possible deaths it causes from here on out if proven to be the reason. We just keep getting worse.

    • ChicoSuave@lemmy.world
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      10 hours ago

      It’s a voluntary recall that they are not following. When the recall becomes a court order they will or risk losing their ability to sell food.

    • nandeEbisu@lemmy.world
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      9 hours ago

      Not at all familiar with this field, but since they only have indirect evidence that the cheese was at fault, ie it was in common between 3 patients in the outbreak vs having directly found genetically related strains in the cheese, they may not have enough evidence for a court ordered recall and can only raise an alarm.

  • Marthirial@lemmy.world
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    10 hours ago

    I totally trust food with a sticker “tested” without explaining for what, like in this case, the cheese is not full of feces.

    • frongt@lemmy.zip
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      8 hours ago

      Also, even if it was a real USDA or FDA test, note that it only says tested, not passed.

  • alpha1beta@piefed.social
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    8 hours ago

    Solution: Seize the company, destroy the product, sell the assets, jail the owners/executives/decision-makers.