Italian teen Mattia Maestri dies after nine‑year coma from raw‑milk cheese E. coli infection

Mattia Maestri raw milk cheese E. coli Italy negligent homicide

Mattia Maestri, a 13‑year‑old from Coredo in the Trentino region of Italy, died on 2 August 2026 after spending nine years in a permanent vegetative state caused by a Shiga‑toxin‑producing Escherichia coli infection. The infection was traced to raw‑milk cheese produced by a dairy in Coredo, Val di Non, that was contaminated during milk collection.

The Trento public prosecutor opened a negligent‑homicide investigation and has indicted former cheese‑factory manager Lorenzo Biasi and cheesemaker Gianluca Fornasari. The boy’s father, Giovanni Battista Maestri, refused monetary compensation and has led a campaign for stricter labelling of raw‑milk cheese for children, pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised people. The case has revived a national debate on the safety of unpasteurised dairy products in Italy.

Entities

Caseificio di Coredo · Coredo · Coredo cheese dairy · Dei Laghi cheese · Escherichia coli · Gianluca Fornasari · Giovanni Battista Maestri · Istituto Superiore di Sanità · Lorenzo Biasi · Mattia Maestri · Public Prosecutor's Office of Trento · Stefano Morabito

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 3 SOURCES] Giovanni Battista Maestri refused monetary compensation, focusing on prevention of similar tragedies. www.lapresse.it · www.upday.com · www.bigodino.it
[○ 1 SOURCE] Italian legislators debated a proposal requiring visible warnings on raw‑milk cheese packaging for children, pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised. www.upday.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The Trento public prosecutor opened a negligent‑homicide investigation into the death. www.lapresse.it · www.bigodino.it
[● 7 SOURCES] Mattia Maestri died at age 13 after nine years in a vegetative state caused by eating raw‑milk cheese contaminated with E. coli. www.elmundo.es · www.lapresse.it · www.upday.com · www.larazon.es · www.bigodino.it · +2 more
[● 4 SOURCES] The infection involved Shiga‑toxin‑producing Escherichia coli (STEC). www.elmundo.es · www.lapresse.it · www.bigodino.it · www.mirror.co.uk
[● 4 SOURCES] The case revived public debate on the safety of raw‑milk cheese consumption. www.elmundo.es · www.larazon.es · www.bigodino.it · www.mirror.co.uk
[● 4 SOURCES] The contaminated cheese was produced by a dairy in Coredo, Val di Non, Italy. www.lapresse.it · www.upday.com · www.bigodino.it · www.mirror.co.uk
[● 4 SOURCES] Father Giovanni Battista Maestri launched a campaign for stricter labelling of raw‑milk cheese for vulnerable groups. www.upday.com · www.larazon.es · www.bigodino.it · www.mirror.co.uk
[○ 1 SOURCE] Lorenzo Biasi and Gianluca Fornasari were indicted for negligent homicide in connection with the contaminated cheese. www.bigodino.it