Articles Tagged with ''outbreak investigations''

During its investigation of an ongoing Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreak involving Raw Farm-brand unpasteurized cheddar cheese, FDA detected E. coli in a product sample not matching the current outbreak strain, but instead matching a strain from a different 2025 outbreak.

The company says the recall is being issued “under protest” and “as a path forward,” while continuing to contest the epidemiological evidence provided by FDA.

Redacted details include the importer of the implicated mangoes, the country in which the mangoes were grown, and the number and names of states in which outbreak cases were reported.

Although FDA was unable to find a cause of contamination, a single supplier of the contaminated moringa powder was identified. Affected products, which were sold under the Rosabella brand and distributed by Ambrosia Brands LLC, have been recalled.

Nearly all of the ill people interviewed reported consuming Raw Farm-brand raw dairy products. Testing and an onsite inspection of Raw Farm’s operation in California is ongoing. Raw Farm LLC has yet to issue a recall.

“If mandatory authority needs to be strengthened, the Food Safety Caucus stands ready to tackle this issue at FDA’s request,” wrote Congress members in a statement about the ongoing E. coli outbreak involving Raw Farm raw cheese products. Raw Farm has so far refused to recall.

A key cause of the outbreak was determined to be contaminated eggshells used in poultry feed. Cross-sector collaboration and data-sharing were instrumental in solving the investigation.

WHO assessed the overall public health risk as “moderate,” citing the vulnerability of infants, uncertainty around the extent of contamination, and gaps in surveillance and traceability.

The products have been recalled, but have a long shelf life. FDA previously reported working with the manufacturers to determine the root cause of contamination, but has not shared an update at the time of the investigation’s close.

The agency’s Office of Coordinated Outbreak Response, Evaluation, and Emergency Preparedness (CORE+EP) evaluated 72 incidents, initiated 26 response investigations, and issued ten public health advisories in 2024.