A deadly E. coli food poisoning outbreak has been linked to fresh onions from a California-based produce company, Taylor Farms, which sent the onions to a McDonald’s distribution facility. As a result, Quarter Pounder hamburgers were removed from McDonald’s restaurants in several states. The outbreak has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states, including one death. Federal health officials have identified slivered onions as a potential source of the infections. U.S. Foods, a major wholesaler, stated that Taylor Farms issued a recall for peeled whole and diced yellow onions due to potential E. coli contamination from a facility in Colorado. However, McDonald’s was not directly supplied by Taylor Farms, and their products were not part of the recall.
While Taylor Farms did not respond to requests for comment, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stated that they are investigating all possible sources of the outbreak. In response to the outbreak, other national restaurant chains, including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, and Burger King, temporarily stopped using fresh onions. Yum Brands, the parent company of these chains, removed onions from select locations out of caution and stated that they would follow guidance from regulators and suppliers. Burger King, a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International, disclosed that 5% of its restaurants used onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado facility. They disposed of the onions and replenished their stock from other suppliers.
Chipotle confirmed that they do not source onions from Taylor Farms or use any ingredients from the Colorado facility. Onions have been previously implicated in outbreaks, with Taylor Farms recalling a mix used in Costco chicken salads in 2015 and Gills Onions being tied to a salmonella outbreak in diced onions last year. In the current outbreak linked to McDonald’s, at least 10 people have been hospitalized, including a child with a severe kidney disease complication. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include fever, vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), signs of dehydration, and are especially dangerous for vulnerable populations. A lawsuit has been filed by a Colorado man against McDonald’s after contracting an E. coli infection.
The illnesses in the outbreak were confirmed between late September and mid-October, with victims infected with E. coli 0157:H7, a bacteria that produces a dangerous toxin. The CDC reports that this type of E. coli causes thousands of infections and dozens of deaths each year in the U.S. Eric Stelly, the man suing McDonald’s, reportedly fell ill two days after eating food from a local McDonald’s. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning can occur rapidly and pose serious risks to certain demographics. The CDC also reported that E. coli 0157:H7 is responsible for a significant number of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths in the U.S. annually. The AP Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group, with the AP being solely responsible for all content.
