E. coli Lawsuit to be filed against Twin Sisters Creamery

Between October and December 2025, an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections was identified and investigated. The outbreak was ultimately linked to aged raw-milk (unpasteurized) cheese produced by Twin Sisters Creamery. The Washington State Department of Health (WADOH) worked with local and state agencies, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), and federal public health partners to investigate STEC infections associated with the consumption of aged raw milk cheese.

In Washington, a total of nine cases were reported. One case was hospitalized. Oregon reported one case in this outbreak. Of the first three Washington cases reported, one case was a child under five years of age and two individuals were adults. 

Illness onset among these first cases occurred between September 5 and September 16, 2025. In general, all reported cases experienced illness onset before the cheese recall issued on October 24, 2025. Molecular fingerprinting of the bacteria isolated from the cases revealed extremely similar genetic patterns, suggesting a common source of infection.

The Oregon case reported consuming Twin Sisters Creamery Farmhouse cheese prior to the onset of symptoms. This cheese was produced from raw, unpasteurized milk and was aged at least 60 days, as required by law to reduce potential pathogens. 

An opened, leftover sample of Twin Sisters Creamery Farmhouse cheese tested positive for E. coli O103. A second, unopened Twin Sisters Creamery cheese sample collected from a retail location by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) also tested positive for STEC. Additional unopened cheese samples from multiple retail locations were collected for testing, with results unknown. 

Laboratory testing confirmed that samples of Twin Sisters Creamery cheese contained two different STEC strains associated with reported cases: E. coli O103 and E. coli O26. Molecular fingerprinting of the E. coli O103 bacteria from the first three cases was extremely similar to the E. coli O103 identified in both the Twin Sisters Creamery Farmhouse and Whatcom Blue cheeses. Similarly, the E. coli O26 strain isolated from six patients matched the E. coliO26 strain identified in Twin Sisters Creamery Peppercorn Farmhouse cheese.

As a result of the investigation, all sizes of Whatcom Blue, Farmhouse, Peppercorn, and Mustard Seed varieties of aged cheese produced by Twin Sisters Creamery on or after May 27, 2025 were recalled. Recall notices were issued by Twin Sisters Creamery and a distributor, Peterson Company. 

On July 9, 2025, the Washington State Department of Agriculture issued a Notice of Correction to Twin Brook Creamery, the milk supplier for Twin Sisters Creaming, informing it that the raw holding tank at its plant, located at 9728 Double Ditch Road in Lynden, Washington, contained a bacterial count exceeding 2,000,000 bacteria per milliliter—far above the legal limit of 300,000 per milliliter. WSDA instructed the creamery to “take whatever corrective measures necessary to bring the bacterial counts of [its] product within the legal limits.”

On the same date, July 9, 2025, WSDA also warned Twin Brook Creamery that the leukocyte (somatic cell) count in its raw milk measured 1,200,000 cells per milliliter, more than three times the applicable legal limit.

On September 18, 2025, WSDA issued another Notice of Correction to Twin Brook Creamery after determining that the bacterial count in its raw cow’s milk was approximately 100,000 per milliliter, exceeding the applicable regulatory limit, and directed the creamery to correct the violation. 

On October 14, 2025, WSDA again notified Twin Brook Creamery that the bacterial count in its raw cow’s milk was in violation of Washington law.

On November 3, 2025, WSDA issued an additional Notice of Correction to Twin Brook Creamery after testing revealed that the bacterial count in its raw cow’s milk had again exceeded the legal limit of 80,000 bacteria per milliliter, reaching approximately 300,000 bacteria per milliliter. The creamery was again instructed to correct the violation. 

Republished with permission from Bill Marler and Marler Clark. Copyright (c) Marler Clark LLP, PS. All rights reserved.