McDonald’s says E. coli contamination has been contained and removed from its stores

Four days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its alert about an outbreak they claimed was linked to the sandwich, they reported 75 cases of E. coli, 22 of which required hospitalizations, and one death. While the CDC reported these cases in 13 states, McDonald’s halted production in 12 states, including Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Utah, according to the North American chief . Supply Chain Officer Cesar Piña.

“This weekend, McDonald’s was notified that the Colorado Department of Agriculture has completed testing results which confirm that no E. coli was found in samples taken from Quarter Pounder beef patties from restaurants in this area. We have learned that no further testing is planned for beef patties,” Piña wrote. “By combining the CDC’s epidemiological data with our supply chain traceback data, we ruled out Quarter Pounder patties as a source.”

Attention focused on McDonald’s onion supplier, Taylor Farms, as the source of the outbreak. Although the CDC has credited Taylor Farms with voluntarily recalling onions, it remains to be seen where the onions came from, as the Colorado Department of Agriculture said it had “no information indicating that onions grown in Colorado were linked to this outbreak.”

As a result, restaurants in the affected states will produce Quarter Pounders without chopped onions. McDonald’s continued to remove contaminated products from all of its restaurants.

“Due to the product actions taken by both companies, CDC believes the risk to the public is very low,” the website said.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINATOR

E. coli, also known as Escherichia coli, causes symptoms of high fever, dehydration, vomiting, severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea, dizziness, and dry mouth and throat. These usually start three to four days after ingestion.

Those most at risk are children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems. One of the reported hospitalizations involved a child who developed a kidney disease called hemolytic uremic syndrome.