The bacteria infected nearly 50 people.
On Wednesday, McDonald’s sought to reassure its customers about the safety of its U.S. restaurants amid a federal investigation into a fatal E. coli outbreak linked to the company’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers. The outbreak has been associated with at least 49 illnesses across ten states, resulting in one death and ten hospitalizations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In response, McDonald’s removed Quarter Pounders from menus in about 20% of its U.S. locations.
The CDC’s preliminary investigation pointed to raw slivered onions, which are used on Quarter Pounders, as the likely source of the contamination. McDonald’s has also noted that the onions are present on one of its breakfast sandwiches, but that item is not sold in the affected stores. Other menu items, like the Big Mac, use diced and cooked onions instead. In light of the situation, McDonald’s is currently searching for a new regional supplier for fresh onions.
Customer reactions have varied, with some expressing hesitance about dining at McDonald’s. One customer, Adriean Madden, voiced concerns over the lack of clear communication about the outbreak and the measures being taken to ensure safety. He indicated that this incident might affect his future decisions to visit McDonald’s, stating that he hadn’t seen any notifications about the outbreak at the restaurant.
McDonald’s has been working closely with federal food safety authorities since being alerted to the outbreak last week. The company pointed out that the widespread popularity of its products has complicated the identification of the contamination source. With over 14,000 locations in the U.S. serving millions of Quarter Pounders, the scale of the operation adds to the challenge.
Experts have praised McDonald’s for its stringent food safety protocols but questioned why the company did not temporarily close restaurants during the investigation. Bill Marler, a lawyer with experience in food poisoning cases, argued that all restaurants should have been closed until the source of contamination was determined. In response to these concerns, McDonald’s stated that there have been no indications from the investigation that its food preparation practices are at fault. The company’s U.S. President, Joe Erlinger, mentioned in a recent interview that it’s likely any contaminated product has already moved through the supply chain.
The CDC reported that infections connected to the outbreak occurred between September 27 and October 11 across multiple states. As part of the investigation, public health officials have been interviewing individuals about their food consumption prior to falling ill. Among those interviewed, a significant majority had eaten at McDonald’s, with many specifically identifying the Quarter Pounder as their meal. Despite these findings, McDonald’s believes it is improbable that the beef in its Quarter Pounders is to blame, given that it comes from various suppliers and is cooked at high temperatures that kill E. coli.
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