Beef patties utilized in McDonald’s Quarter Pounders have examined adverse for the pressure of E. coli linked to a lethal outbreak that has been traced again to the favored sandwich, an organization spokesperson stated Sunday, citing assessments achieved by the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
At this time, the division has no additional plans to check the meat patties, the corporate spokesperson stated, and the patties have been dominated out because the supply of the outbreak.
The possible supply of contamination got here from slivered onions from a single supply, the corporate spokesperson stated, citing the Food and Drug Administration.
McDonald’s stopped sourcing slivered onions from that supply — Taylor Farms Colorado Springs — indefinitely on Sunday, the corporate spokesperson stated, days after it eliminated the Taylor Farms onions from its provide chain.
The onions from Taylor Farms had been offered in shops in Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and parts of different states within the space, the spokesperson stated. Some of these places included airports, which might account for circumstances in different states.
At this level, the McDonald’s spokesperson stated the corporate is assured in asking beef suppliers to supply a recent provide of patties for distribution. Quarter Pounders are anticipated to be accessible in eating places this week.
All 900 eating places that get onions from Taylor Farms Colorado Springs will proceed promoting Quarter Pounders with out onions in the meanwhile, the corporate spokesperson stated.
No different burgers or McDonald’s menu gadgets had been impacted by the outbreak.
The pressure of E. coli within the outbreak, referred to as O157:H7, produces a strong toxin that may harm the liner of the small gut.
The outbreak was first reported Tuesday, when the CDC introduced it was investigating an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders in a number of states, prompting the fast-food chain to cease utilizing slivered onions and quarter-pound beef patties in a number of states, the company stated on the time.
The CDC stated Tuesday that the primary E. coli case linked to McDonald’s occurred Sept. 27. State well being officers in Colorado then notified the CDC of an uncommon uptick within the sickness on Oct. 10 and the company began investigating Oct. 15, Matt Wise, chief of the CDC’s Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch, instructed NBC News.
The CDC zeroed its investigation in on the slivered onions on the Quarter Pounders by Wednesday. On Thursday, McDonald’s stated the onions linked to the outbreak got here from Taylor Farms.
On Wednesday, distributor U.S. Foods stated Taylor Farms was recalling 4 uncooked onion merchandise out of an abundance of warning due to “potential E. coli contamination.” The firm urged its clients, together with eating places, to cease utilizing and to destroy affected merchandise as quickly as doable.
It additionally prompted different restaurant chains in Colorado — together with Illegal Pete’s and Taco Bell — to cease utilizing onions on their menus.
A spokesperson for Yum! Brands, the mother or father firm that owns Taco Bell, stated choose Pizza Hut and KFC places have additionally eliminated recent onions from their menus. There are not any indicators of E. coli sicknesses linked to these eating places.
The FDA stated Thursday it was trying into Taylor Farms because the doable supply of the E. coli outbreak linked to the Quarter Pounders, however added “we’re all doable sources.”
A spokesperson for Taylor Farms didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark Sunday.
As of Friday, 75 folks throughout 13 states have been contaminated with the E. coli pressure and one particular person has died, based on the CDC.
Twenty-two folks have been hospitalized and two folks have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a extreme complication that may trigger everlasting kidney failure or demise.
Multiple folks have sued McDonald’s claiming they grew to become sick after consuming on the restaurant.