McDonald’s Quarter Pounders are back on the menu at hundreds of restaurants after new tests confirmed the chain’s beef patties are not to blame for the E. coli, which reinforces the case that the California onion served on the burgers is to blame.
Salinas-based producer Taylor Farms was the supplier of onions to all restaurants linked to the outbreak, and the fast-food chain has permanently suspended business with them, McDonald’s confirmed. Over the weekend, McDonald’s received test results from the Colorado Department of Agriculture that found no traces of E. coli in samples of their burger patties.
On Sunday, McDonald’s CEO Cesar Piña issued a statement seeking to assure the public that all of its products are now safe to eat.
“This issue seems to be contained in a specific object and location,” said Piña, the company’s North American CEO. “We remain very confident that any contaminated product associated with this outbreak has been removed from our stores and is out of all McDonald’s restaurants.”
Since Tuesday’s outbreak, at least 75 people have been confirmed infected in 13 states, 22 have been hospitalized, and one has died in Colorado, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At least 26 people have been infected with the virus in Colorado, 13 in Montana, 11 in Nebraska, five each in New Mexico and Utah, four in Missouri and Wyoming, two in Michigan and one each in Iowa, Kansas, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington, the CDC reported on Friday. . So far, no California cases have been reported.
Most people reported eating a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder before getting sick, and the Food and Drug Administration focused on investigating the burger’s beef and chopped onions, according to the CDC.
Last week, Taylor Farms voluntarily announced a recall of four onion products “due to possible contamination with E. coli.” Other fast food chains that have pulled the plug on the company include Burger King, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Habit Burger & Grill and Pizza Hut.
The FDA is still investigating the cause of the outbreak and has not confirmed that Taylor Farm onions are the source.
Testing over the weekend by the Colorado Department of Agriculture found no trace of E. coli in McDonald’s burger patties, which has ruled it out as a possible source.
The department tested several McDonald’s beef patties that were recently collected from various Colorado McDonald’s locations related to the outbreak.
McDonald’s had stopped distributing Quarter Pounders of beef to about 900 restaurants. Following the results of the Colorado department’s investigation, McDonald’s has asked its suppliers to produce new beef meals at affected restaurants and will resume selling Quarter Pounders next week.
Symptoms of E. coli include stomach cramps and diarrhea, and they usually start three to four days after ingesting the bacteria. Most people recover without treatment within a week.
In severe cases, E. coli can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition that damages the blood vessels in the kidneys. So far, two people have developed this dangerous problem, according to the CDC.
The last reported infection began on October 10, according to the CDC, giving hope that the worst of the outbreak is over.
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