McDonald’s has announced it will resume selling the Quarter Pounder next week after recent tests cleared beef patties as the source of the E. coli outbreak linked to the popular burger. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to suspect that slivered onions from a single supplier are responsible for the contamination.
As of Friday, the outbreak has affected at least 75 individuals across 13 states, with 22 hospitalizations reported. Tragically, one death has occurred in Colorado, and two patients have developed serious kidney complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Preliminary findings by the FDA indicated that uncooked slivered onions were likely the source of the E. coli 0157 infections. McDonald’s confirmed that the onions came from Taylor Farms, a California-based company, sourced from a facility in Colorado Springs.
In light of the outbreak, the 900 McDonald’s locations that typically receive slivered onions from Taylor Farms will resume selling Quarter Pounders but will do so without the onions.
Taylor Farms has preemptively recalled yellow onions distributed from its Colorado facility and is collaborating with the CDC and FDA on the investigation.
E. coli 0157 is known for producing a potent toxin and is responsible for approximately 74,000 infections in the U.S. each year, resulting in over 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths, according to CDC data.
