Onions Out, Burgers Back: McDonald’s tackles E. coli outbreak

Last Sunday, McDonald’s announced that Quarter Pounders would return to their menus in hundreds of restaurants. The company cleared beef patties as the source of the recent E. coli outbreak. Instead, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration suspects slivered onions from a single supplier are to blame. The outbreak, linked to Quarter Pounders, has made 75 people sick across 13 states and tragically claimed one life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 22 people were hospitalized, with two developing severe kidney issues. McDonald’s revealed that fresh onions used in the restaurants came from Taylor Farms in Colorado Springs. As a precaution, McDonald’s paused Quarter Pounder sales, particularly in the Midwest and Mountain states, while the onions were being investigated.

The company not only removed affected onions but decided to stop sourcing from Taylor Farms’ Colorado facility "definitely". The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s tests confirmed that beef patties were not the source of contamination. Other fast-food chains like Taco Bell and KFC also temporarily stopped using onions. Colorado reported the most cases, with 26 people falling ill. This type of E. coli outbreak, known as E. coli O157:H7, is particularly dangerous, causing serious symptoms and potential complications for children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals.

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