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.
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
