Dozens of people have fallen ill in an Escherichia coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders
Investigation of the September 27-October 11 Death at McDonald’s Associated Joint Store in Salt Lake City, Utah, Acucuariarily
McDonald’s says the investigation has been complicated by the scope of the problem. The company said it serves 1 million Quarter Pounders in the affected areas every two weeks. McDonald’s also said this strain of E. coli isn’t usually found in onions.
The Colorado death was reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Infections were reported between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Colorado has the most cases, 27, followed by Nebraska with nine.
A specific ingredient has not been identified as the cause, but investigators are focused on onions and beef. A preliminary FDA investigation shows that the onions on the burgers are likely to be the source ofcontamination. The patties are being investigated.
McDonald’s officials said that the initial findings showed that some illnesses were linked to onions from a single supplier. The company has halted distribution of the slivered onions and temporarily removed the Quarter Pounder from menus in the affected states, and also in portions of Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
How Did McDonald’s Get Their Meals? An Empirical Study of the Impact of an E. Colibacter O157:H7 Food Safety Experiment
E. coli bacteria are harbored in the guts of animals and found in the environment. Infections can cause serious symptoms, such as a high temperature, stomachache, and bloody diarrhea. People who develop symptoms of E. coli poisoning should seek health care immediately and tell the provider what they ate.
The news comes in an already tough year for the Chicago-based McDonald’s chain. Its global same-store sales fell for the first time in nearly four years in the second quarter as inflation-weary customers skipped eating out or chose cheaper options. In late June, the company added a $5 meal deal to its U.S. restaurants. The deal doesn’t include the Quarter Pounder.
The type of bacteria implicated in this outbreak, E. coli O157:H7, causes about 74,000 infections in the U.S. each year, leading to more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths. Infections are especially dangerous for children younger than 5 and can cause acute kidney failure.
Despite a fatal E. coli outbreak tied to its Quarter pounder hamburgers, McDonald’s reassured customers that they should feel confident ordering from its restaurants.
State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. All 18 people said they had eaten at McDonald’s, and 16 said they had eaten a beef hamburger. Twelve people reported eating a Quarter Pounder.
In regard to its food safety practices, McDonald’s said that there was nothing in the government investigation that pointed to any issues with its food preparation.
How likely is E. coli to get sick if you ate the burgers at Rutgers University, said Schaffner
The incubation period for E. coli is only a couple of days, so illness would be quickly apparent to anyone affected, said Donald Schaffner, a food safety expert at Rutgers University. He said if you ate the burgers in September and it is October and you did not get sick, you are probably okay.
The president said it was possible that the product had already worked it’s way through the supply chain. But the company will work closely with the government and cooperate with the investigation, he said. Erlinger would not say if the supplier supplies other restaurant chains or grocery stores.
McDonald’s has decided to recall Quarter Pounders in several parts of the US, including Idaho,Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma, due to a possible E.coli outbreak linked to them. McDonald’s said that its initial findings showed that some illnesses were linked to onions from a single supplier. It added that it serves 1 million Quarter Pounders in the affected areas every two weeks.