Raw mild cheddar cheese recalled over possible E. coli contamination in New York and New Jersey

A dairy is pulling raw mild cheddar cheese off store shelves because it may be contaminated with a dangerous strain of E. coli, according to a notice posted Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration.

What is recalled

Family Farmstead Dairy is recalling its raw mild cheddar cheese with the lot code 7/22/27. The company said the cheese may contain Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7. The product was sold to grocery stores in New York and New Jersey.

What to do

Shoppers who bought the cheese should not eat it. Throw it away or return it to the store for a refund. Wash any cutting boards and counters that touched the cheese with hot soapy water and then sanitize them.

Signs of illness

This strain of E. coli can cause severe stomach cramps and diarrhea that is often bloody. Some people also have vomiting and a mild fever. Most people recover in about a week but the infection can be serious for young children and older adults and people with weak immune systems.

Anyone who ate the cheese and has these symptoms should call a doctor. Health officials also remind shoppers that raw milk cheese can carry more risk than cheese made with pasteurized milk.