McDonald’s onion supplier issues recall after E. coli outbreak

The company that supplies McDonald’s its onions, Taylor Farms, has issued a recall for the product just days after the CDC reported an E. coli outbreak potentially linked to the restaurant.

On October 22, the CDC announced the results of an investigation into McDonald’s potentially being the cause of an E. coli outbreak. They found that the company’s Quarter Pounder had caused 49 illnesses and one reported death across 10 states in the US.

After the news dropped, McDonald’s President Joe Erlinger said that he is “very confident” that customers can still go to the restaurant and enjoy its menu items. Erlinger also confirmed that two ingredients in the Quarter Pounder are under investigation.

On October 24, McDonald’s onion supplier, Taylor Farms recalled yellow onions made in the facility for the fast-food giant.

However, it’s not because they found traces of E. coli in the product. Instead, the company told NRN that it’s been done “out of an abundance of caution.”

“We continue to work closely with the FDA and CDC during this ongoing investigation,” Taylor Farms told the publication.

In a statement on October 22, McDonald’s revealed all restaurants in the impacted states have been ordered to remove the Quarter Pounder from its menu and they have paused the distribution of all slivered onions in the impacted area.

The states affected are Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, and portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.

“We take food safety extremely seriously and it’s the right thing to do. Impacted restaurants are receiving a stock recovery notice today and should reach out to their field supply chain manager or distribution center with any questions,” they said.

They also added that all other beef products, including the Big Mac, McDouble, and the Double Cheeseburger, are unaffected by the outbreak and are available.

If you want to take a break from hamburgers, however, you can check out the Chicken Big Mac instead.