McDonald’s has announced the resumption of sales for Quarter Pounders across all its U.S. locations following a temporary halt due to an E. coli outbreak. This outbreak has affected 75 individuals across 13 states, resulting in 13 hospitalizations and one fatality. The fast food chain identified the source of contamination as onions from a facility in Colorado, which were only utilized in the Quarter Pounders. The beef used in the burgers was confirmed to be free of E. coli.
McDonald’s North America Chief Supply Chain Officer, Cesar Piña, stated that the issue is isolated to a specific ingredient and geographic area. The company is confident that any contaminated products have been removed from their supply chain and are no longer present in McDonald’s restaurants.
Piña noted that increased awareness might lead to more individuals seeking medical attention, potentially raising the case count. However, this awareness is beneficial as it encourages vigilance and connection with healthcare professionals.
The pause in Quarter Pounder sales affected locations in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, and parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, according to the CDC. The sandwiches will return to these areas this week without the slivered onions from Taylor Farms, although it remains unclear when the chain might resume sourcing onions for the sandwiches.
McDonald’s explained that the reintroduction will occur on a rolling basis, depending on delivery and resupply operations.
While most individuals recover from E. coli within 5-7 days, some may develop severe kidney issues, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome. The elderly, children, and those with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of severe illness, and lawsuits have already commenced from affected individuals.
Joe Erlinger, McDonald’s president, issued a video message apologizing and reassuring customers of the safety of their food.
Erlinger conveyed the company’s apology and commitment to rectify the situation, emphasizing McDonald’s dedication to consistently doing the right thing in various ways, both publicly and privately.
In response to the outbreak, competitor restaurants like Taco Bell, Burger King, KFC, and Pizza Hut have also removed onions sourced from Taylor Farms at certain locations.
The FDA continues to investigate the Taylor Farms facility in Colorado Springs. McDonald’s reiterated that slivered onions from this facility were removed from their supply chain on October 22, and they have decided to cease sourcing onions from the Colorado Springs facility indefinitely.