Federal officials have reported an increase in cases of E. coli poisoning linked to McDonald's, with 90 people across 13 states falling ill in the outbreak. The number of hospitalizations has risen to 27, with one death connected to the outbreak. The likely source of the E. coli is raw, slivered onions on McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers. These onions were traced back to a single supplier, California-based Taylor Farms, which has since recalled the yellow onions sent to McDonald's and other restaurant chains.
The FDA has initiated inspections at Taylor Farm's processing center in Colorado Springs and an 'onion grower of interest' in Washington state. Over 80% of those affected reported consuming McDonald's items containing fresh, slivered onions. McDonald's confirmed that onions from the Colorado Springs facility were distributed to around 900 of its restaurants, including some in transportation hubs like airports.
The strain of E. coli involved in the outbreak can cause severe diarrhea, kidney failure, and other serious health issues. It is responsible for approximately 74,000 infections in the U.S. each year, leading to over 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths annually, according to the CDC.
The FDA has stated that the current risk of illness is low as the contaminated onions have been recalled and should no longer be available. All reported cases occurred before Taylor Farms and McDonald's removed the onions from the market. McDonald's has resumed serving Quarter Pounders at hundreds of its restaurants after confirming that beef patties were not the source of the outbreak.
