McDonald’s tries to reassure customers after deadly E. coli outbreak

McDonald’s said Wednesday that customers should feel confident ordering at its restaurants despite a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to Quarter Pounder burgers.

The outbreak has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states and one person has died.

A preliminary investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration suggests that fresh onions served raw in Quarter Pounders were a likely source of contamination. The company said Wednesday that it is looking for a new regional supplier of fresh onions and that Quarter Pounders have been removed from menus at a fifth of its U.S. restaurants.

McDonald’s says it has been working closely with federal food safety regulators since late last week, when it was alerted to the potential outbreak.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the outbreak on Tuesday. He said infections were reported between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11 in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. One person in Colorado died and 10 people were hospitalized.

State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they became sick. Of the 18 people interviewed, all reported eating at McDonald’s and 16 people reported eating a beef burger. Twelve reported eating a Quarter Pounder.

McDonald’s says the investigation was complicated by the extent of the problem. The company said it serves 1 million Quarter Pounders in affected areas every two weeks. McDonald’s also said this strain of E. coli is not generally found in onions.

McDonald’s said its initial findings suggest some of the reported illnesses are linked to onions from a single supplier. McDonald’s said the onions are cleaned and sliced ​​by the supplier, who regularly tests for the presence of E. coli. They are then packaged for individual use in Quarter Pounders.

McDonald’s said it has extensive food safety practices and that nothing in the government investigation indicated there was a problem with the preparation of its food.

The incubation period for E. coli is just a few days, so the disease would be quickly apparent to anyone affected, said Donald Schaffner, a food safety expert at Rutgers University. “If you ate these burgers in September and now it’s mid-October and you haven’t gotten sick, you’re probably fine,” he said.

The E. coli bacteria is housed in the intestines of animals and is found in the environment. Infections can cause serious illness, including fever, stomach cramps, and bloody diarrhea. People who develop symptoms of E. coli poisoning should seek medical attention immediately and tell their doctor what they ate.

Erlinger said it’s possible the contaminated product has already passed through the McDonald’s supply chain. But the company will work closely with the government and cooperate with the investigation, he said. Erlinger declined to name the supplier or say whether it supplies other restaurant chains or supermarkets.

McDonald’s shares fell 4.5% in early trading Wednesday.

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AP Health Writer JoNel Aleccia contributed from Temecula, California.