Onions linked to a McDonald’s food supplier are said to be under investigation by the Centers for Disease Control after an E. coli outbreak sickened nearly 100 people in October. Investigators are apparently looking at an onion farm in Washington to determine if there is a link to the October foodborne illness outbreak.
The illnesses were linked to the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers sold in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, and portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma. As a result, McDonald’s temporarily ceased the sale of their existing supply of slivered onions and beef patties as state and federal investigators sought a cause to the illnesses.
While the CDC said on Oct. 25 that government officials did not know the source of the contamination, by Oct. 30 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had data to show that slivered onions sourced from a Taylor Farms facility in Colorado was the likely culprit of the illnesses. Diced onions used by McDonalds are apparently not linked to any illnesses, according to the FDA.
Colorado investigators say that the hamburger patties sold by McDonald’s were not linked to the foodborne illnesses after traceback investigations were made.
Taylor Farms initiated a voluntary recall of some onions sent to food service customers, the FDA said on its website. Those customers were contacted directly to remove any remaining onions.
In a statement from McDonald’s, the company said it removed slivered onions sourced from Taylor Farms. The CDC continues its investigation into the company’s Colorado facility.
Several media outlets carried the story of a teenager treated for kidney failure after eating multiple quarter pounder hamburgers over several days.
The FDA has guidelines for produce shippers, carriers, and others who have handled recalled food after links to a foodborne illness outbreak.
According to the CDC, E. coli symptoms are typically severe, and can include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting.
Some people may develop serious kidney problems (hemolytic uremic syndrome, also called HUS) and need to be hospitalized.
For more information about E. coli, see the About Escherichia coli Infection page online.
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