US closes investigation into E. coli outbreak linked to onions in McDonald’s Quarter Pounders
The US government said on Tuesday it was ending its investigation into a E. coli outbreak tied to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers after it was determined there was no longer a safety risk.
The outbreak, that was first reported on October 22At least 104 people were sickened in 14 states, including 34 who were hospitalized, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. One person in Colorado died and four people developed a potentially life-threatening complication of kidney disease.
The FDA, which conducted the investigation jointly with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments, linked the outbreak to yellow onions distributed by California-based Taylor Farms and served raw on Quarter Pounders at McDonald’s restaurants in Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and other states.
No new cases have been reported since Oct. 21, when McDonald’s removed the Quarter Pounder from its menu in affected states, the CDC said Tuesday. Taylor Farms initiated a voluntary yellow onion recall on October 22.
Federal and state health officials in Colorado did not find the E. coli strain that caused the illnesses in the onions tested or in environmental samples. But they concluded that evidence showed that recalled yellow onions were the likely source of the outbreak.
“McDonald’s is no longer serving recalled onions and there does not appear to be any ongoing food safety concerns related to this outbreak,” the FDA said in a statement Tuesday.
McDonald’s short drew Quarterpounders from 3,000 U.S. stores due to the outbreak, then reduced to 900 stores after tests showed onions — not hamburger patties — to be the likely source of E. coli. The company found an alternative supplier and resumed sales of Quarter Pounders with chopped onions in all U.S. stores last month.
But the outbreak has hurt demand. In mid-November, McDonald’s said it was planning to do so Spending $100 million to bring customers back to stores, including $65 million going directly to the hardest-hit franchisees.
Chicago-based McDonald’s would not say Tuesday whether sales in the affected regions had returned to normal levels. But the company thanked US regulators for their quick action and said it remains confident in its strict food safety standards.
McDonald’s last major food safety problem happened in 2018, when more than 500 people suffered intestinal illness after eating the salads.
McDonald’s also declined to comment Tuesday on legal action against the company as a result of the E. coli outbreak.
Nicole and Richard West of Townsend, Montana, are suing McDonald’s after their 11-month-old daughter Logan was hospitalized with E. coli poisoning in October. The toddler ate a few bites of her father’s Quarter Pounder hamburger with onions during a family outing on Oct. 2.
A few days later she became ill with severe vomiting and diarrhea. Her mother rushed her to the hospital, where she was found to be infected with E. coli O157:H7, which can cause a life-threatening illness, especially in young children.
Richard West also became ill, but did not seek medical attention because he was caring for the family’s other children at home. He lost more than two weeks of work as a truck driver due to the outbreak and the family is facing a barrage of medical costs.
Nicole West said Tuesday that Logan’s health has improved, but the outbreak has shaken the family’s faith in the fast-food giant.
“If you want to go out to eat with kids, they want to go to McDonald’s. They want to get a Happy Meal,” West said. “But we just don’t trust it anymore.”