In this article, McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers are set to make a comeback in approximately a fifth of U.S. restaurants this week, totaling around 3,000 locations. This decision comes after the fast-food chain removed the menu item due to its association with a fatal E. coli outbreak.
Of the 3,000 locations, about 900 will offer Quarter Pounder burgers without slivered onions for the foreseeable future. This adjustment is being made as health authorities investigate the outbreak’s source. The affected restaurants are in Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, and parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Utah.
Cesar Pina, the chief supply chain officer for McDonald’s North American operations, stated in a letter to the company’s U.S. system that the issue seems to be isolated to a specific ingredient and region. He expressed confidence that any contaminated products related to the outbreak have been removed from the supply chain and all McDonald’s establishments.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s testing did not find E. coli in beef patty samples from local restaurants, according to Pina. The agency does not plan to conduct further tests on the company’s beef. Health authorities suspect that slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounders are the likely cause of the outbreak. The Food and Drug Administration is investigating whether onions from Taylor Farms are responsible. McDonald’s has ceased using Taylor Farms as a supplier for the ingredient indefinitely.
McDonald’s has instructed its beef suppliers to create a new batch of fresh beef patties for Quarter Pounders. The menu item is expected to return to all restaurants in the upcoming week, with the timing dependent on delivery and resupply operations.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s has resulted in 75 cases across 13 states. Out of 61 patients with available information, 22 have been hospitalized, and two individuals have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a severe condition that can lead to kidney failure. The agency previously confirmed the death of an elderly person in Colorado.
The outbreak occurred between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, during which McDonald’s typically sells around 1 million Quarter Pounders in the affected region over a two-week period, according to company representatives.
McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger issued an apology to customers who may be feeling unwell, frightened, or uncertain in a video posted on the company’s website, expressing regret on behalf of the McDonald’s system.
McDonald’s is set to announce its third-quarter earnings on Tuesday. The company’s shares have dropped by 7% since the CDC linked the E. coli outbreak to its restaurants.
Clarification: McDonald’s is reintroducing the Quarter Pounder to approximately 3,000 locations after removing the menu item due to an E. coli outbreak. Around 900 restaurants will offer the burgers without slivered onions.
