McDonald’s Removes Quarter Pounder Burger From 20% States In The US After E. Coli Outbreak

Due to an E. coli outbreak in ten states, McDonald’s has stopped selling Quarter Pounder burgers at 20%, or one-fifth of its US locations. The fast food chain McDonald’s has removed Quarter Pounder burgers from its menu in several US states, namely Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, and more. The US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) has linked E. coli infections to Quarter Pounder burgers in 10 US states, resulting in one death and dozens falling ill.

McDonald’s And CDC Departments Reaction On The E. Coli Outbreak

After this whole outbreak, McDonald’s US chief Joe Erlinger mentioned that McDonald’s priority right now is to reinforce the confidence of American consumers. McDonald’s US chief reinforced on NBC’s Today show that the Quarter Pound burger has instantly been removed from the menu in all the areas where the outbreak happened.  Further, Erlinger also mentioned that the unidentified contaminated product is believed to have likely travelled through the company’s supply chain.

On the other hand, the CDC department was expecting to see more E. coli infections surfacing. The department also appreciated McDonald’s for taking the required action quickly and hopes to prevent as many cases as possible. McDonald’s has over 14,000 outlets in the US and serves over one million Quarter Pounder burgers every two weeks in affected states.

Also Read: “1.6 Million People Worldwide Fall Ill Due To Consumption Of Unsafe Food,” Says WHO; Most Common Foodborne Illnesses Inside

Aftermath Of E. Coli Outbreak 

Despite an E. coli outbreak connected to their Quarter Pounder burger, McDonald’s management is advising customers to keep dining there. Erlinger mentioned that McDonald’s is confident that people can go there for their classics. McDonald’s denied any restaurant closures despite a government investigation indicating no flaws in its food preparation practices.

The US Food and Drug Administration has identified fresh slivered onions as a potential source of contamination in Quarter Pounder burgers. McDonald’s has confirmed that some illnesses are linked to onions from a single supplier, as per initial findings. Distribution of the slivered onions has been halted and Quarter Pounder has been temporarily removed from certain areas.

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E. coli, a group of bacteria that can cause infections in the gut, urinary tract, and other parts of the body, is most likely to cause severe illness. McDonald’s has been working closely with federal food safety regulators since last week when it was alerted to a potential E. Coli outbreak. The company said that the scope of the problem and the popularity of its products have complicated efforts to identify the contamination source.

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