McDonald’s has identified a specific ingredient from California as the source of a serious E. coli outbreak that has affected at least 49 individuals across ten states. This discovery has led chains like KFC and Taco Bell to quickly eliminate the item from their offerings.
On October 22, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that an investigation was underway regarding an E. coli outbreak spanning the nation.
Those afflicted by the bacteria had all dined at a McDonald’s location before falling ill, particularly consuming a Quarter Pounder, which has since been removed from the menu.
The outbreak has resulted in 10 hospitalizations and one death in Colorado.
In a statement, Yum! Brands, which owns McDonald’s, stated that they are closely monitoring the recent E. coli outbreak.
Due to ‘an abundance of caution,’ they have decided to remove fresh onions from certain restaurants, believing this ingredient is linked to the outbreak.
This includes multiple McDonald’s locations in states such as Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Wyoming, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, and Montana, along with certain Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC outlets, according to NPR.
“We will continue following supplier and regulatory guidance to ensure the ongoing safety and quality of our food,” the company added.
On Thursday (October 24), U.S. Foods, a major food distributor, recalled raw diced, peeled, and whole peeled onions from its supplier, Taylor Farms Colorado, as reported by ABC News.
“The reason for the recall is due to potential E. coli contamination,” stated the notice.
McDonald’s informed USA Today that one of Taylor Farms’ production facilities also supplied onions to McDonald’s locations affected by the E. coli issue.
They clarified that the recall of fresh onions was ‘not related to the company’s removal of Quarter Pounders.’
US Foods stated that they are not a supplier to McDonald’s. This was corroborated by a US Foods spokesperson, who told USA Today that the company ‘is not a distributor of record for McDonald’s restaurants and McDonald’s locations are not included in the recall notifications issued by US Foods about the Taylor Farms Colorado onion products recall.’
According to The Wall Street Journal, Taylor Farms is cooperating with federal regulators following the recall of onions produced at its Colorado plant.
A spokesperson for Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, claimed they had not been contacted by health authorities concerning the fresh onions used in their recipes.
However, they have proactively instructed employees to dispose of the vegetable, which, like Yum! Brands, is sourced from Taylor Farms’ Colorado facility.
“Despite no contact from health authorities and no indications of illness, we proactively asked our five percent of restaurants who received whole onions distributed by this facility to dispose of them immediately two days ago and we are in the process of restocking them from other facilities,” the group announced in a statement to The Daily Mail.
The Mayo Clinic notes that exposure to E. coli can occur through contaminated foods such as raw vegetables and undercooked ground beef, with common symptoms including diarrhea, stomach cramps, and nausea.
While healthy adults are likely to recover within a week, severe strains can pose serious risks to children under five.
Following the E. coli outbreak, McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger assured that customers can still ‘confidently go to McDonald’s’ and ‘enjoy [the] classics’ because ‘food safety is [its] top priority.’
During an appearance on the Today show, Erlinger stated: “It’s the top priority in this building where I am, at the McDonald’s headquarters. It’s a top priority in our nearly 14,000 McDonald’s restaurants across the U.S. It’s the top priority for our suppliers as well.”