A McDonald’s Quarter Pound hamburger is proven on this photograph in Instances Sq. in New York, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. An outbreak of E. coli has been traced to McDonald’s Quarter Pound hamburgers served with uncooked chopped onions.
Richard Drew | AP
The Meals and Drug Administration stated Thursday it’s investigating whether or not Taylor Farms, a provider of McDonald’sis the possible source of the E. coli outbreak linked to the Quarter Pounder hamburgers that killed at the very least one individual and sickened practically 50 others.
In a discover to clients, distributor US Meals stated Taylor Farms introduced a recall of 4 uncooked onion merchandise out of an abundance of warning “as a result of potential E. coli contamination.” The discover urged clients reminiscent of eating places to cease utilizing and destroy the affected merchandise as quickly as potential.
FDA and the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention are perfected in the sliced ​​onions served on hamburgers as a possible supply of contamination.
An FDA spokesman confirmed Thursday that the company is investigating Taylor Farms, including, “We’re all potential sources.”
from wednesday 49 people fell ill with E. coli infections related to the outbreak. One grownup died and 10 others, together with a baby affected by hemolytic uremic syndromeare hospitalized.
Colorado restaurant chains, together with Unlawful Pete’s and Taco Bell, additionally eliminated onions from their menus after the recall, in response to local reports. There aren’t any indicators of E. coli sicknesses related to these eating places.
Till now, it was unclear the place McDonald’s onions got here from — neither the restaurant chain nor public well being officers have stated publicly the place the onions had been grown or whether or not they had been despatched to different eating places.
A McDonald’s spokesman stated Wednesday that the uncooked onions come from a single provider and are processed at a single facility. They’re lower and packaged on the facility as uncooked greens in particular person luggage after which distributed to eating places.
A spokesman for Taylor Farms didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. In response to the corporate’s web site, Taylor Farms is a California-based grower of recent vegatables and fruits.
The strain of E. coli in the outbreakreferred to as O157:H7, produces a strong toxin that may injury the liner of the small gut.
Well being officers stated Wednesday they anticipate the variety of circumstances to rise.
