McDonald’s Removes Quarter Pounder From Menu From Multiple Locations Following E. Coli Outbreak

McDonald’s is a favorite fast food stop for many people. But, now customers have reason for concern after the famous Quarter Pounder was removed from the menu after an E. Coli outbreak.

Here are the details of this breaking story.

Other food items in the U.S. have been recalled recently.

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In the past few weeks, the United States has had multiple food recalls, including on many frozen waffles (not Eggos) after an outbreak of listeria occurred in a factory.

Now, McDonald’s has announced that it is removing their Quarter Pounder from multiple locations after E. Coli made customers sick.

The burgers have made at least 50 people sick.

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The recall happened after around 50 people got sick from the burgers, including one person who died.

The outbreak didn’t originate at one location; instead, people were getting sick in multiple states, including Colorado, Nebraska, and other western states.

The franchise sold many Quarter Pounders during this short time frame.

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A McDonald’s spokesperson said around one million Quarter Pounders were sold. Most of the patients who got sick reported eating a Quarter Pounder, prompting investigators to investigate which ingredient was causing the outbreak.

The E. Coli may have come from onions on the burgers.

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According to McDonald’s North American chief supply chain officer Cesar Piña, the company’s investigations show that E. coli may have been present in the onions used on the burgers.

Because the burgers are cooked at 175 degrees, E. coli shouldn’t be present, as heat above 160 degrees should eliminate the disease.

The onions came from one supplier.

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However, the onions on top of the patties are not cooked, and they all came from the same supplier. It’s still not completely clear where the outbreak originated.

For now, McDonald’s has removed the Quarter Pounder and slivered onions from the menu at locations in Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.

Most of the cases came from Colorado and Nebraska.

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So far, there have been 49 cases of E. coli linked to the Quarter Pounder with 26 cases in Colorado and nine in Nebraska. Ten people went to the hospital and one adult died.

The cases started at the end of September and continued until October 11th, although more cases may still arise.

What should you do if you live in those states?

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While the likely cause of the outbreak has been removed from the menu, customers who ate Quarter Pounders during that timeframe probably don’t have to worry.

E. coli has a short incubation period, and symptoms usually begin within a couple of hours.

Multiple outbreaks may be lowering consumer confidence.

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With disease outbreaks in frozen waffles, Boar’s Head meat, and now McDonald’s burgers, more American citizens are concerned about the safety of their food. 

More information about the source of the McDonald’s outbreak may become available as investigations continue.