In this article, ninety people across 13 states have been affected by a deadly E. coli outbreak associated with McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC is actively investigating the origin of the outbreak, which has resulted in 27 hospitalizations and one reported death of an elderly individual in Colorado.
Prior to Wednesday, the CDC’s last update on the outbreak was provided on Friday, revealing 75 cases across 13 states. The agency initially disclosed the outbreak on October 22. The CDC stated on Wednesday that fresh slivered onions served on Quarter Pounders and other McDonald’s menu items are likely the source of the outbreak.
The CDC mentioned that the additional illnesses occurred before McDonald’s and Taylor Farms, the onion supplier to the affected region, took steps to remove the ingredient from impacted locations. The agency expressed confidence in the minimal risk to the public due to the actions taken by McDonald’s and Taylor Farms. The CDC indicated that the chances of contaminated onions still being available for sale are low.
Quarter Pounder hamburgers are a significant menu item for McDonald’s, generating billions of dollars annually. McDonald’s announced that the burgers would return to approximately one-fifth of U.S. restaurants this week, totaling around 3,000 locations, after being temporarily removed from the menu due to the outbreak.
However, about 900 of these locations will offer the Quarter Pounder without slivered onions for the foreseeable future as health authorities, including the CDC, continue to investigate the outbreak’s source. This change will impact restaurants in Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, as well as parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Utah.
