At least 49 people in various states have become ill after eating McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday, citing “an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections.” One person has died and 10 have been hospitalized.
The majority of the illnesses have been reported in Colorado and Nebraska. However, sicknesses have been reported in numerous states, and additional McDonald’s locations have paused serving slivered onions and beef patties that are used for the Quarter Pounders as the CDC investigation continues.
“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” the CDC said in an update Wednesday.
Here’s everything to know about the outbreak.
What ingredient made people sick?
While it has not been confirmed which ingredient was linked to E. coli, the CDC states that fresh slivered onions are used predominantly on the Quarter Pounders at the chain restaurant. This is why certain locations in various states have temporarily stopped serving them and the Quarter Pounder patties.
Shortly after the news of the outbreak, a popular food supplier, US Foods in conjunction with Taylor Farms, announced they are recalling onions “due to potential E.coli contamination.”
The recalled onion products are:
- Taylor Farms jumbo peeled yellow onions (30-pound pack)
- Taylor Farms yellow diced onions (5-pound pack)
- Taylor Farms yellow whole peeled onions (6/5-pound pack)
- Cross Valley Farms yellow diced 3/8″ onions (4/5-pound pack)
You can find the full recalled product information here.
Bloomberg has reported that US Foods is the supplier for McDonald’s, but this has not been determined by the restaurant chain at this time.
According to Denver 7, popular Colorado-based restaurant Illegal Pete’s has also stopped serving onions in connection with the recall. However, no one has been reported sick in connection with any Illegal Pete’s locations at this time.
McDonald’s Quarter Pounders have now been linked to one death and at least 10 hospitalizations.
Where are McDonald’s Quarter Pounders being removed from menus?
Certain McDonald’s restaurants in these states have removed Quarter Pounders from the menu:
- Colorado
- Nebraska
- Kansas
- Utah
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
According to a map shared by the CDC, reported Illnesses have been In the following states:
- Colorado: 26 people sick
- Nebraska: 9 people sick
- Wyoming: 4 people sick
- Utah: 4 people sick
- Oregon: 1 person sick
- Montana: 1 person sick
- Kansas: 1 person sick
- Missouri: 1 person sick
- Iowa: 1 person sick
- Wisconsin: 1 person sick
Has McDonald’s made a statement regarding the outbreak?
On Wednesday, McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger told Today that the company is “very confident that you can go to McDonald’s and enjoy our classics. We took swift action yesterday to remove the Quarter Pounder from our menu.”
“Food safety is our top priority at McDonald’s,” he added.
What is E. coli?
E. coli is a bacteria that is found in various places, including the intestines of humans and animals, according to the CDC. E. coli does not always cause illness, but you can become sick if you ingest the bacteria from contaminated food or water.
Common symptoms are severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. Young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to become ill from E. coli.
The CDC says to call your health care provider if you have severe symptoms of E. coli. You can also contact your local or state health department to report foodborne illnesses. The CDC’s directory of health departments can be found here.
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