LOS ANGELES — McDonald’s has confirmed that beef patties are not the source of the recent outbreak of E. coli poisoning linked to Quarter Pounders, the company announced on Sunday. The fast-food chain will soon resume selling the Quarter Pounder following the test results.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) believes that slivered onions from a specific supplier are likely responsible for the contamination, according to McDonald’s.
As of Friday, the outbreak has affected at least 75 individuals in 13 states, with 22 people hospitalized and two experiencing kidney complications, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Tragically, one person in Colorado has died.
Initial findings from the FDA indicate that uncooked slivered onions used in the burgers are a probable source of the contamination. Taylor Farms, a California-based produce company, has been identified as the supplier of the onions used in the affected restaurants, sourced from a facility in Colorado Springs.
The 900 McDonald’s locations that typically received onions from Taylor Farms in Colorado Springs will resume selling Quarter Pounders without slivered onions.
Taylor Farms has voluntarily recalled yellow onions from its Colorado facility and is cooperating with health authorities in their investigation.
The E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria responsible for the outbreak produces a dangerous toxin, resulting in thousands of hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S. each year, according to the CDC.
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