E. Coli Outbreak Linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder: Supplier Issues Recall
In a developing situation surrounding a multistate E. coli outbreak associated with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers, a significant supplier of onions has announced a recall just one day after the outbreak was made public. While federal health regulators have yet to officially confirm the source of the outbreak, which has tragically resulted in one death and left 49 others ill, preliminary investigations indicate that the fresh slivered onions, primarily used as a topping for the Quarter Pounder, are a “likely source of contamination.”
Taylor Farms, the exclusive supplier of these onions to the affected McDonald’s restaurants across 10 states, issued a recall on Wednesday for several yellow onion products due to concerns over “potential E. coli contamination.” This information was disclosed in a notice from U.S. Foods, a distributor that supplies these products to numerous restaurants.
The notice mandated that restaurants immediately cease the sale of the specified onion products, which include diced, peeled, and whole onions, and instructed them to destroy any remaining stock. The recall was initiated voluntarily by Taylor Farms Colorado out of an “abundance of caution,” as explained by a representative from U.S. Foods in an email communication. However, Taylor Farms has not yet provided a response to inquiries regarding this issue.
Both McDonald’s and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have stated that their initial reviews have pointed towards these slivered onions as a potential cause of the outbreak. Nevertheless, health officials, along with representatives from McDonald’s, emphasize that they have not completely excluded the possibility of contamination occurring from other sources.