CHICAGO — E. coli food poisoning has been linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers that has killed one person, hospitalized 22 and sickened 75 others in 13 states.
Of the 22 people hospitalized, two of them developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday.
States with cases include Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. McDonald’s stores in these states temporarily stopped using Quarter Pounder slivered onions and beef patties, however, on Sunday, the company said testing ruled out the beef patties as the source of e.coli poisoning. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to believe that slivered onions from a single supplier are likely the source of contamination. McDonald’s has confirmed that California-based Taylor Farms was the supplier of the slivered onions and that they had come from a facility in Colorado. Affected restaurants will resume selling Quarter Pounders without slivered onions in the coming week.
“We’re working in close partnership with our suppliers to replenish supply for the Quarter Pounder in the coming weeks (timing will vary by local market). In the meantime, all other menu items, including other beef products (including the Cheeseburger, Hamburger, Big Mac, McDouble and the Double Cheeseburger) are unaffected and available,” said Cesar Piña, McDonald’s North America Chief Supply Chain Officer in a statement. “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.”
This information is subject to change as the investigation is ongoing.
