SnoCo resident contracts E. coli linked to recalled raw milk cheese
Published 11:20 am Friday, November 14, 2025
EVERETT — A Snohomish County resident contracted E. Coli amid an outbreak tied to recalled raw milk cheese, the Snohomish County Health Department announced Thursday.
At least 10 cases in Washington and Oregon were tied to an outbreak connected to cheese distributed by Twin Sisters Creamery based in Whatcom County. Nine cases were identified in Washington. One person was hospitalized.
As of Friday, only one person in Snohomish County has been identified with E. Coli linked to the recalled cheeses, according to a health department spokesperson. They were not hospitalized.
The company voluntarily recalled a number of cheese products made with raw milk — namely Whatcom Blue, Farmhouse, Peppercorn and Mustard Seed — that were shipped to distributors in Oregon and Washington between July 7 and Oct. 22.
The cheese products are no longer available for purchase, the company said in its recall announcement, but consumers may still have recalled products in refrigerators or freezers. Individuals should throw away the recalled cheese and sanitize any surfaces it touched, the company said. If there is no “made on” date or batch code on the packaging, the Snohomish County Health Department said those should also be discarded.
Consuming raw milk — milk that has not been pasteurized — along with products like cheeses, yogurts, or ice creams made with it, can risk exposure to a number of food-borne diseases, some of which can lead to serious complications.
Pasteurization, a process of heating milk to a certain temperature to kill harmful bacteria, has been widely used as a safety precaution in the United States since the early 1900s. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention both recommend against consuming products made with raw milk because of the associated health risks.
In a news release, the Snohomish County Health Department said that any individuals who are pregnant, newborns, aged 65 or older or have weakened immune systems should not consume any cheese made with unpasteurized milk unless heated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
E. Coli are bacteria that live in the intestines of humans and animals. Most are harmless, although some of those bacteria can produce a toxin called Shiga, known as “Shiga-toxin-producing” bacteria or STEC. STEC can cause illness in humans and can be spread by eating food or water contaminated with the bacteria or through person-to-person transmissions. Along with products like unpasteurized milk, it can also be spread by raw or under-cooked meats.
Most people with a STEC infection get better on their own within five to 10 days, according to the state Department of Health, although it can lead to more serious complications.
A list of batch codes identifying the recalled cheeses is available online: tinyurl.com/2s45pz5n.
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
