McDonald's has ruled out beef patties as the source of the recent E. coli outbreak connected to its Quarter Pounder hamburgers. The outbreak has tragically resulted in at least one death and has sickened nearly 75 individuals across various states.
Chief Supply Chain Officer Cesar Pina stated, \\"We remain very confident that any contaminated product related to this outbreak has been removed from our supply chain and is out of all McDonald's restaurants.\\" Supporting this, the Colorado Department of Agriculture reported that all subsamples from multiple lots of McDonald's brand fresh and frozen beef patties tested negative for E. coli. They have completed beef testing and do not expect further samples.
In response to the outbreak, McDonald's temporarily withdrew the Quarter Pounder from approximately one-fifth of its U.S. restaurants, including locations in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, and several other states. The company plans to resume distribution of fresh Quarter Pounder supplies within the coming week.
While E. coli is typically killed through proper cooking, McDonald's Quarter Pounder is served with raw, slivered onions. Affected restaurants will now serve the burgers without onions to ensure customer safety. This follows a trend among U.S. fast-food chains, which have removed fresh onions from their menus after onions were identified as the likely source of the contamination.
Previous E. coli outbreaks have negatively impacted sales at major fast-food chains, as customers tend to avoid affected establishments. McDonald's is actively addressing the issue to restore consumer trust and ensure the safety of its products.
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McDonald's rules out beef patties as source of E. coli outbreak
cgtn.com
