McDonalds
McDonald's Quarter Pounders linked to E coli outbreak in 10 US states
By Twisted
23 Oct 2024
2m
McDonald's Quarter Pounders have been linked to an E coli outbreak in 10 US states, leaving almost 50 people with food poisoning.
The fast food giant faced a food safety alert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US on October 22nd, citing one of the chain's most popular burgers – the Quarter Pounder – as the root of the issue.
At present, there are 49 recorded cases of E coli across 10 states: Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
One person was even tragically reported to have passed away in Colorado, and a child was hospitalised with kidney complications, according to the CDC.
The report didn't note which ingredient in the Quarter Pounder was contaminated.
It cites the first case of E coli on September 27th and the most recent on October 11th.
As it usually takes three to four weeks to work out if E coli is part of an outbreak, the exact number of people affected is still unknown.
McDonald's has removed silvered onions and beef patties from stores that have had affected customers, whilst they try to work out what caused the food poisoning.
"We take food safety extremely seriously and it’s the right thing to do," the chain said.
In a statement, McDonald's added "initial findings from the investigation indicate that a subset of illnesses may be linked to slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounder and sourced by a single supplier that serves three distribution centers."
"We will continue to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and are committed to providing timely updates as we restore our full menu."
E coli are a group of bacteria typically found in the intestines of humans and animals, and while they are often harmless, some strains produce toxins which can make you unwell.
It can usually take a few days after consumption for the symptoms of E coli to show.
Featured image: Getty