Raw Milk Lawsuit | 2026 Latest Updates

Raw milk can carry E. coli, Campylobacter and Salmonella, and a 2025 Florida outbreak made 21 people ill. Florida health officials traced the illnesses to raw milk from Keely Farms Dairy in New Smyrna Beach. One mother sued the dairy and a Longwood store in Seminole County in August 2025. She alleged the milk sickened her toddler and her, and that her unborn child died. She voluntarily dismissed the suit in February 2026, and no court ruled on the merits. No MDL or class action exists. Separately, Raw Farm recalled raw cheddar cheese in April 2026 after an E. coli outbreak.

Latest Raw Milk Lawsuit Updates

April 2, 2026: Raw Farm Recalls Raw Cheddar Cheese

The Center for Science in the Public Interest reported that Raw Farm announced a voluntary recall of its raw cheddar cheese products on April 2. The company had first declined the FDA recommendation [1]. Consumer Reports said Raw Farm acted “under protest.” It also said no Raw Farm products have tested positive for pathogens. The cheddar had been tied to an E. coli outbreak [2].

March 27, 2026: FDA Links Two More Cases to Raw Farm Cheddar

Consumer Reports also said the FDA linked two more E. coli cases to the Raw Farm raw cheddar outbreak. That brought the total to nine cases. Three people were hospitalized, and one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome.

March 23, 2026: House Bill Targets the Interstate Raw Milk Ban

Food Safety News reported that Representatives Thomas Massie and Chellie Pingree again introduced H.R. 7880, the Interstate Milk Freedom Act [3]. The bill would end the federal ban on the interstate sale of raw milk in some instances. The two lawmakers had introduced the bill before.

March 16, 2026: FDA Announces E. Coli Outbreak Tied to Raw Cheddar

The Associated Press reported that the FDA announced an E. coli outbreak linked to Raw Farm raw cheddar cheese. At least seven people in three states were ill, including young children [4]. The FDA recommended that Raw Farm voluntarily remove its raw cheese products from sale. The company declined that recommendation at the time.

February 13, 2026: Maddox Voluntarily Dismisses Her Lawsuit

WKMG ClickOrlando reported that plaintiff Rachel Maddox voluntarily dismissed her lawsuit against Keely Farms Dairy on February 13 [5]. The farm had moved to dismiss the complaint. The farm argued the complaint named no facts showing contamination. The dismissal was her own filing. It was not a court ruling on the merits.

August 19, 2025: Report Details a California Salmonella Outbreak

Healio reported on a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report by Weinstein and colleagues about a separate California Salmonella outbreak tied to raw milk. It counted 171 cases in five states and 22 hospitalizations [6]. That outbreak is separate from the Florida one, so its counts do not apply there. No deaths were reported in it.

August 13, 2025: Rachel Maddox Sues Keely Farms Dairy

NBC News reported that Rachel Maddox filed suit in Seminole County, Florida against Keely Farms Dairy over its raw milk [7]. She alleged her toddler and then she became ill from its raw milk, and that she lost her unborn child. The complaint accuses the dairy of negligence and liability. These are her allegations.

August 7, 2025: Florida Officials Name Keely Farms Dairy

CNN reported that Florida health officials tied 21 illnesses to Keely Farms Dairy, a producer in New Smyrna Beach [8]. The state first published its outbreak notice without naming the producer. A later news release named the farm. The first infections were reported in January 2025.

What Is Raw Milk?

According to the CDC, raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized [9]. Pasteurization removes disease-causing germs by heating milk to a high enough temperature for a certain length of time. The CDC adds that good practices on farms can reduce contamination. They cannot guarantee safety from harmful germs. Raw milk is the product at the center of the Keely Farms Dairy suit.

Who May Be Affected?

People who drank or served raw milk or raw-milk cheese were exposed to its germs. The CDC says children under 5, adults over 65, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness. In Florida, raw milk is legally sold only for animal consumption and must be labeled that way, WESH reported [10]. Only a legal review of your own records can show whether a claim exists.

Reported Injuries or Damages

The Florida Department of Health linked 21 Campylobacter and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli illnesses to the dairy’s raw milk. Six patients were children under 10. Seven were hospitalized, and at least two had severe complications. The Maddox complaint alleges more than the state reports. It says her toddler had three emergency room visits and hospitalizations. It also says she developed sepsis and lost her unborn child at about 20 weeks. No court has tested these allegations. The CDC lists diarrhea, stomach cramping and vomiting as symptoms. In some cases the illness leads to Guillain-Barre syndrome or hemolytic uremic syndrome. These can cause paralysis, kidney failure, stroke or death. The 2012 Public Health Reports study by David reviewed 56 fluid-milk outbreaks reported to the CDC between 1993 and 2006. Of those, 46 (82%) involved raw milk and 10 involved pasteurized milk [11].

Recall and Regulatory Background

Raw Farm, based in Fresno, California, recalled several raw cheddar cheese products after the FDA linked them to an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. CSPI reported that the illnesses began between Sep. 1, 2025 and Feb. 20, 2026. Over half of the patients were under age five. A recall does not by itself establish liability.

Evidence to Preserve

If raw milk or a raw-milk product made you or a family member sick, keep these items:

• Containers, labels and any leftover raw milk or cheese, stored safely and unopened where possible
• Receipts, card statements or messages showing where and when you bought the product
• Photographs of labels, including any “not for human consumption” wording on the package
• Medical records, test results and hospital bills for each person who became ill
• A log of symptoms and the dates they started, improved or got worse
• Names and contact details of others who drank or ate the same product
• Communications with the seller, the farm or the health department about the illness

Filing Deadlines

Deadlines for filing an injury claim come from state law. Where you live and when the illness, injury and diagnosis happened both affect the time limit that applies to your situation. Once the time limit passes, a court may refuse to hear the claim at all. For that reason, talk to a lawyer promptly about your own situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Did Keely Farms Dairy Say About the Raw Milk Lawsuit?

What Keely Farms Dairy said about the raw milk lawsuit includes a claim that it was “blindsided” by the health department’s news release. It also says it sells raw milk “Not for human consumption.” It argued its labeling met Florida Department of Agriculture requirements. These are the farm’s own statements.

How Many People Have Been Hospitalized from Raw Milk?

Hospitalizations from raw milk run into the hundreds. CDC data cited by CNN count more than 220 hospitalized across 202 outbreaks from 1998 to 2018. Those outbreaks sickened nearly 2,700 people.

What Does the Research Say About Raw Milk Risks?

Research shows raw milk can carry serious germs. The CDC says products made from raw milk can expose people to Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, Brucella and Salmonella. It adds that pasteurized milk offers the same nutritional benefits without those risks.

Is Raw Milk Legal to Sell?

Raw milk is legal to sell only within limits. Federal law requires pasteurization for any milk sold across state lines, so a producer shipping raw milk to another state would break that rule.

References

1. https://www.cspi.org/cspi-news/raw-farm-recalls-cheddar-cheese-implicated-e-coli-cases
2. https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-recalls/raw-farm-raw-milk-cheddar-cheese-e-coli-outbreak-a1754162551/
3. https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/03/bill-to-lift-ban-on-transporting-raw-milk-is-back/
4. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/7-people-in-the-u-s-sickened-by-e-coli-linked-to-cheese-made-from-raw-milk-fda-says
5. https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/02/13/lawsuit-thrown-out-after-florida-mom-says-raw-milk-led-to-dead-baby-during-pregnancy/
6. https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20250819/large-raw-milk-outbreak-mostly-sickened-kids
7. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-says-raw-milk-sickened-toddler-led-loss-unborn-baby-sues-florida-rcna225658
8. https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/05/health/raw-milk-florida-outbreak
9. https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/foods/raw-milk.html
10. https://www.wesh.com/article/new-smyrna-beach-dairy-raw-milk-illness-outbreak/65640657
11. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3461852/