In response to an E. coli outbreak linked to its Quarter Pounder burgers, McDonald’s has removed the item from the menu at 20% of its locations across the United States.
The decision comes after one death and numerous illnesses were reported, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifying the burgers as a potential source in ten states.
The affected locations include restaurants in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, and several areas in Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
McDonald’s U.S. chief, Joe Erlinger, stated that the company acted swiftly to reassure consumers following the outbreak.
The CDC anticipates more E. coli cases and suspects that the contamination may have originated from raw onions used in the Quarter Pounder.
While McDonald’s has removed these burgers, other items on the menu, like the Big Mac, use cooked onions, which are not implicated in the outbreak.
The fast-food chain is collaborating closely with federal food safety regulators to investigate the source of the contamination and is actively searching for a new supplier for fresh onions.
With over 14,000 outlets in the U.S. serving more than a million Quarter Pounder burgers every two weeks, McDonald’s is taking significant steps to address consumer safety concerns.
