The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified fresh, slivered onions served on McDonald's Quarter Pounders and other menu items as the likely source of an E. coli outbreak affecting 13 states.
As of Wednesday, 90 cases have been reported, including 15 new ones, with 27 individuals hospitalized and one fatality. The outbreak has been traced back to onions supplied by Taylor Farms, leading to the recall of several batches from their Colorado facility.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has initiated inspections at the Taylor Farms processing center in Colorado, where 29 reported cases have emerged. Additionally, an onion grower in Washington state is under investigation.
Despite the ongoing cases, the CDC believes that the risk to the public remains very low thanks to swift actions taken by McDonald's and Taylor Farms to remove the contaminated onions from their food service locations.
McDonald's has announced that it will resume selling Quarter Pounders this week after temporarily removing them from about a fifth of its 14,000 U.S. restaurants. CEO Chris Kempczinski has expressed confidence in the safety of McDonald's food, assuring customers and apologizing for the inconvenience caused.
E. coli bacteria, while commonly found in various environments and foods, can cause severe illnesses including diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and sepsis. The FDA notes that symptoms typically appear within a few days to nine days after consumption of contaminated food.
The affected states include Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, Wisconsin, Washington, and Michigan. Both the CDC and FDA continue to monitor the situation closely to prevent further spread of the outbreak.
Reference(s):
CDC: Onions served at McDonald's likely source of E. coli outbreak
cgtn.com
