McDonald’s Quarter Pounder back on the menu after testing rules out beef
patties as E. coli source
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[October 28, 2024]
By SARAH PARVINI
LOS ANGELES (AP) — McDonald’s announced Sunday that Quarter Pounders
will again be on its menu at hundreds of its restaurants after testing
ruled out beef patties as the source of the outbreak of E. coli
poisoning tied to the popular burgers that killed one person and
sickened at least 75 others across 13 states.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to believe that slivered
onions from a single supplier are the likely source of contamination,
McDonald's said in a statement. It said it will resume selling the
Quarter Pounder at affected restaurants —- without slivered onions — in
the coming week.
As of Friday, the outbreak had expanded to at least 75 people sick in 13
states, federal health officials said. A total of 22 people had been
hospitalized, and two developed a dangerous kidney disease complication,
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. One person has died
in Colorado.
Early information analyzed by the FDA showed that uncooked slivered
onions used on the burgers “are a likely source of contamination,” the
agency said. McDonald’s has confirmed that Taylor Farms, a
California-based produce company, was the supplier of the fresh onions
used in the restaurants involved in the outbreak, and that they had come
from a facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
McDonald’s pulled the Quarter Pounder burger from menus in several
states — mostly in the Midwest and Mountain states — when the outbreak
was announced Tuesday. McDonald’s said Friday that slivered onions from
the Colorado Springs facility were distributed to approximately 900 of
its restaurants, including some in transportation hubs like airports.
The company said it removed slivered onions sourced from that facility
from its supply chain on Tuesday. McDonald's said it has decided to stop
sourcing onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility
“indefinitely.”
The 900 McDonald's restaurants that normally received slivered onions
from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility will resume sales of
Quarter Pounders without slivered onions, McDonald's said.
Testing by the Colorado Department of Agriculture ruled out beef patties
as the source of the outbreak, McDonald's said.
The department of agriculture received multiple lots of fresh and frozen
beef patties collected from various Colorado McDonald’s locations
associated with the E. coli investigation. All samples were found to be
negative for E. coli, the department said.
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A McDonald's pick-up window in Chicago, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024.
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Taylor Farms said Friday that it had preemptively recalled yellow onions
sent to its customers from its Colorado facility and continues to work
with the CDC and the FDA as they investigate.
While it remains unclear if the recalled onions were the source of the
outbreak, several other fast-food restaurants — including Taco Bell,
Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King — pulled onions from some menus in
certain areas this week.
Colorado had the most illnesses reported as of Friday, with 26 cases. At
least 13 people were sickened in Montana, 11 in Nebraska, 5 each in New
Mexico and Utah, 4 each in Missouri and Wyoming, two in Michigan and one
each in Iowa, Kansas, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington, the CDC
reported.
McDonald’s said Friday it didn’t pull the Quarter Pounder from any
additional restaurants and noted that some cases in states outside the
original region were tied to travel.
The CDC said some people who got sick reported traveling to other states
before their symptoms started. At least three people said they ate at
McDonald’s during their travel. Illnesses were reported between Sept. 27
and Oct. 11.
The outbreak involves infections with E. coli 0157:H7, a type of
bacteria that produces a dangerous toxin. It causes about 74,000
infections in the U.S. annually, leading to more than 2,000
hospitalizations and 61 deaths each year, according to CDC.
Symptoms of E. coli poisoning can occur quickly, within a day or two of
eating contaminated food. They typically include fever, vomiting,
diarrhea or bloody diarrhea and signs of dehydration — little or no
peeing, increased thirst and dizziness. The infection is especially
dangerous for children younger than 5, people who are elderly, pregnant
or who have weakened immune systems.
—
Associated Press writer JoNel Aleccia contributed reporting from
Temecula, Calif.
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