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McDonald’s Quarter Pounder Beef Not Linked to E. coli Outbreak

After a major scare with the infamous McDonald’s Quarter Pounder and a recent outbreak of E. coli it has been confirmed that it was indeed not the beef that caused the outbreak, but instead the slivered onions. In a recently released statement McDonald’s says that all contaminated products are out of the restaurants. This was not before 75 people across 13 various states were sickened and unfortunately there was one fatality.

“The issue appears to be contained to a particular ingredient and geography, and we remain very confident that any contaminated product related to this outbreak has been removed from our supply chain and is out of all McDonald’s restaurants,” a McDonald’s spokesperson said.

The E. coli infections, first reported on Sept. 27 in Colorado, were linked to the recent consumption of Quarter Pounder hamburgers. The Food and Drug Administration, one of several authorities investigating the outbreak, has said that the slivered onions on the burgers are a “likely source of contamination.”

McDonald’s confirmed in a statement to ABC News that Taylor Farms is the supplier of the onions and said that it had stopped using them as of Oct. 22.

“CDC noted that our proactive steps resulted in the risk to the public being ‘very low,'” McDonald’s said in the statement, adding it’s “a reminder of how our values must guide us every single day: we put people first, and we do the right thing.”

Currently, there have been 26 reported cases in Colorado, which remains the most impacted state, and 13 in Montana. Other cases have been reported in Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

“We are committed to making this right for any customers who have eaten at McDonald’s and suffered an illness as a result of the outbreak,” the statement says, without elaboration.

It goes on to explain that McDonald’s has confirmed that there is no E. coli in Quarter Pounder beef patties and has officially ruled out the patties as the source of the outbreak.

While McDonald’s had previously discontinued the sale of Quarter Pounders in the Colorado Springs area out of an “abundance of caution” until the source of the contamination could be confirmed, they were now planning to resume distribution in the week ahead.

At the same time, 900 stores will continue to sell Quarter Pounders without slivered onions, which had previously been supplied by Taylor Farms, and — as the company announced publicly last week — McDonald’s will stop sourcing onions from that partner indefinitely.

The last known person with symptoms linked to the E. coli outbreak fell sick on Oct. 10.

What is E. coli?

Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria normally live in the intestines of healthy people and animals. Most types of E. coli are harmless or cause relatively brief diarrhea. But a few strains, such as E. coli O157:H7, can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting.

You may be exposed to E. coli from contaminated water or food — especially raw vegetables and undercooked ground beef. Healthy adults usually recover from infection with E. coli within a week. Young children and older adults have a greater risk of developing a life-threatening form of kidney failure.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of E. coli infection usually begin three or four days after exposure to the bacteria. But you may become ill as soon as one day after exposure to more than a week later. Signs and symptoms include: