A McDonald’s supplier has recalled onions due to suspected E.coli contamination amid an outbreak that has sickened 49 people and left one dead.
California-based Taylor Farms issued the recall, revealed by a food supplier, after reports suggested the sliced vegetables were a ‘likely source of contamination’.
It is thought that the onions had been used in Quarter Pounders, which are at the center of the outbreak that has struck ten states.
Restaurants that have the onions in their refrigerators and storage areas have been advised to ‘destroy’ them immediately.
Investigations are still ongoing as to the cause of the outbreak, linked to Quarter Pounders
The Quarter Pounder has been pulled from menus in 10 states due to being the suspected source of an E coli outbreak. Pictured is a menu board at a store in Colorado, which has recorded the highest number of cases
Four products were included in the recall: Peeled jumbo yellow onions, two types of diced fresh yellow onions and whole, peeled yellow onions.
Sources say efforts to track the source of the outbreak have focused onto the onions because the patties used in the Quarter Pounders in affected states had come from separate sources.
McDonald’s also said its beef patties are all cooked at a temperature of 175F, which would kill E. coli which cannot survive above 160F.
In a notification of the recall, US Foods — a major distributor — said: ‘There is a potential food safety concern. It is urgent that you stop using affected product as soon as possible.
‘If you find any of the affected product, please record the number of cases and then destroy the product.’
Health experts warn that the number of patients in this outbreak will likely rise because symptoms of an E.coli infection can take a week to develop.
The strain is O157:H7, the same as the one that struck Jack in the Box in the 1990s leading to four deaths and more than 700 illnesses nationwide.
Onions from the distributor are yet to test positive for E.coli, but sources say they are being focused on as the potential source of the contamination.
Symptoms of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli include severe diarrhea and vomiting
Most of the illnesses have been detected in Colorado, with 26 illnesses, followed by Nebraska — nine cases — and Wyoming and Utah, with four cases each. Sicknesses have also been detected in Oregon, Montana, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin.
McDonald’s has now axed its Quarter Pounder across these states alongside parts of Idaho, Nebraska, New Mexico and Oklahoma because of the outbreak.
It does not yet have a date for when the burger may again become available in these states.
The Quarter Pounder is one of the chain’s best-selling burgers, with around 1million sold every fortnight for $6.39 each.
E. coli are bacteria that are typically found in the intestines of animals such as cattle, goats, sheep and deer.
While most are harmless, some can cause a host of gastrointestinal symptoms including stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting.
The bacteria can be found in food and water contaminated by feces from infected animals.
They may contaminate onions if these are cleaned or irrigated with water that has been tainted with animal feces.
And they may spread into beef patties if these are accidentally made using an animal’s intestines.
The outbreak appears have deterred some customers from entering restaurants.
Adriean Madden pulled up outside a McDonald’s outside Denver on Wednesday for his usual afternoon snack but then decided against it.
He said he was unsure how E. coli spreads or contaminates other foods, and he thinks McDonald´s should be more forthcoming.
‘This affects my decision with coming to McDonald´s in the future,’ Madden said.
‘I feel like the information isn’t as widely spread. I didn’t see any notices on the door, and then I saw vehicles going through the drive through just as if nothing was going on.’
