Starbucks drinks with soy, oat, almond, or coconut milk will no longer cost extra.

Starting next week, Starbucks customers will no longer be charged more for adding nondairy milk to their orders. According to the corporation, removing the non-dairy milk premium will result in customers paying around 10% less than they did previously.

In recent years, Starbucks has seen an increase in orders with milk replacements, similar to non-dairy alternatives in grocery shops. Starbucks began offering oat milk on its menu in 2021. After adding a shot of espresso, non-dairy milk is now the second most popular order change at Starbucks.

Starbucks Is Making A Popular Add-On Free Of Charge

Starbucks has significantly changed since new CEO Brian Niccol took over the troubled company in September.

Starbucks said on Wednesday that sales and customer visits were down for the third consecutive quarter.

Starbucks’ global revenues at outlets operating for at least a year fell 7% last quarter, while customer transactions decreased by 8%.

“Our financial results were very disappointing,” Niccol stated during the company’s quarterly earnings call. “It is clear we need to fundamentally change our strategy to win back customers and return to growth.”

Bringing back condiment stations and Sharpies.
Starbucks is moving swiftly under Niccol.

Starbucks is reducing promotional discounts through its mobile app to encourage customers to pay full price for its coffees and teas. Niccol aims to redefine Starbucks as a luxury brand that avoids discounting.

Despite reducing discounts, Niccol stated that the company had no plans to hike pricing next year. Starbucks has raised its costs in recent years, driving away some customers.

Starbucks also announced this week that it is removing its contentious olive oil-infused drinks from the menu, less than a year after its introduction.

The “Oleato” drinks will be removed from Starbucks’ menus in the United States and Canada beginning in early November as part of Niccol’s aim to simplify a menu he recently described as “overly complex.”

Starbucks Is Making A Popular Add-On Free Of Charge

In addition, Niccol stated on Wednesday that Starbucks intends to reinstate self-service condiment stations in locations. The business eliminated them at the start of the Covid-19 epidemic in 2020.

“Both our customers and our baristas say it would help them speed up orders,” he said.

Baristas who write customers’ names on drink orders in marker will also return as part of Niccol’s aim to create a coffeehouse ambiance at the business and give it a “human touch.”

Starbucks (SBUX) shares were steady during regular trading but rose 0.5% after hours.

SOURCE | CNN

Los Angeles —McDonald’s announced on Sunday that Quarter Pounders will be back on the menu at hundreds of its locations after testing ruled out beef patties as the cause of the E. coli outbreak linked to the popular burgers. The outbreak killed one person and affected at least 75 others in 13 states.

According to McDonald’s statement, the US Food and Drug Administration continues to believe that slivered onions from a single supplier are the most likely source of contamination. McDonald’s said it will resume selling the Quarter Pounder at affected restaurants—minus the slivered onions—in the next week.

As of Friday, at least 75 people in 13 states were sick, according to federal health officials. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that 22 persons were hospitalized, two of whom suffered a serious kidney disease consequence. One person died in Colorado.

McDonald’s Quarter Pounder Back On The Menu After Testing Rules Out Beef Patties As E. Coli Source

Early FDA analysis revealed that the uncooked slivered onions used on the burgers “are a likely source of contamination. ” McDonald’s has confirmed that Taylor Farms, a California-based produce company, supplied the fresh onions used in the outbreak-affected locations, which came from a facility in Colorado Springs.

When the outbreak was revealed on Tuesday, McDonald’s removed the Quarter Pounder burger from menus in numerous states, primarily in the Midwest and the mountains. McDonald’s said on Friday that slivered onions from its Colorado Springs facility were supplied to about 900 of its restaurants, including those in transit hubs such as airports.

On Tuesday, the firm announced that slivered onions sourced from the factory were removed from its supply chain. McDonald’s will discontinue sourcing onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs factory “indefinitely.”

According to McDonald’s, the 900 McDonald’s restaurants that previously received slivered onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility will start selling Quarter Pounders without slivered onions.

McDonald’s reported that the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s testing ruled out beef patties as the source of the illness.

The Department of Agriculture acquired many fresh and frozen beef patties from various Colorado McDonald’s outlets linked to the E. coli inquiry. The department reported that all samples tested negative for E. coli.

Taylor Farms announced on Friday that it had preemptively recalled yellow onions supplied to consumers from its Colorado facility and is continuing to cooperate with the CDC and FDA in their investigation.

While it is unknown whether the recalled onions were the source of the illness, numerous other fast-food restaurants, including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, and Burger King, removed onions off their menus in specific areas this week.

As of Friday, Colorado had the most illnesses recorded, with 26. The CDC reported that at least 13 persons were affected in Montana, 11 in Nebraska, 5 in New Mexico and Utah, 4 in Missouri and Wyoming, 2 in Michigan, and 1 in Iowa, Kansas, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Washington.

McDonald’s stated Friday that it did not remove the Quarter Pounder from any further restaurants but that some occurrences in states outside the initial region were related to travel.

McDonald’s Quarter Pounder Back On The Menu After Testing Rules Out Beef Patties As E. Coli Source

According to the CDC, several persons who got sick reported traveling to other states before symptoms appeared. At least three persons reported eating at McDonald’s throughout their trip. Illnesses were reported from September 27 to October 11.

The outbreak is caused by infections with E. coli 0157:H7, a bacteria that produces a deadly toxin. According to the CDC, it causes over 74,000 infections in the United States each year, resulting in over 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 fatalities.

Symptoms of E. coli poisoning can appear fast within a day or two of eating contaminated foods. They often include fever, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, as well as indicators of dehydration such as decreased urination, increased thirst, and dizziness. The illness is particularly deadly for children under the age of five, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems.

SOURCE | AP

Despite a deadly E. coli outbreak related to its Quarter Pounders, McDonald’s insisted Wednesday that customers can order from its locations with confidence.

McDonald’s U.S. President Joe Erlinger stated in an interview with “Today” that the business has withdrawn the Quarter Pounder from its menu in the ten states where dozens of people were sickened, as well as in several additional states.

McDonalds Tries To Reassure Customers After Deadly E. Coli Outbreak

According to a preliminary study by the United States Food and Drug Administration, raw onions placed on Quarter Pounders are a potential source of contamination, and McDonald’s says its initial results indicate that some of the reported illnesses are linked to onions from a single supplier. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is looking into the hamburger meat.

“What’s important today is that we’ve taken the action to protect the American public and promote public health,” according to Erlinger. “We’re confident that we’ll see our way through this and will restore confidence for the American consumer to come to McDonald’s.”

The epidemic was reported late Tuesday by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It stated that 49 infections were detected between September 27 and October 11 in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. One person died in Colorado, and ten others were hospitalized. All of them mentioned eating Quarter Pounders, which are beef burgers topped with pickles, slivered onions, and a sesame seed bun.

E. coli has a short incubation time, so anyone infected would notice symptoms right away, according to Donald Schaffner, a food safety expert at Rutgers University. “If you ate these burgers in September and now it’s the middle of October and you didn’t get sick, you’re probably OK,” remarked the gentleman.

McDonald’s Tries To Reassure Customers After Deadly E. Coli Outbreak

E. coli bacteria can be found in animals’ stomachs as well as in the environment. Infections can produce severe symptoms such as fever, stomach cramps, and bloody diarrhea. People who suffer signs of E. coli contamination should seek medical attention immediately and disclose what they ate.

According to Erlinger, the infected product may have already made its way into McDonald’s supply chain. However, the corporation will work closely with the authorities and cooperate with the investigation, he stated. Erlinger declined to identify the source or confirm whether it serves other restaurant companies or grocery stores.

McDonald’s shares plummeted 4.5% in early trade on Wednesday.

SOURCE | AP