United States: An investigation into an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers which has been officially closed, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced. The outbreak made 104 people sick in 14 states. 34 people had to go to the hospital, and one older person in Colorado sadly passed away. 

The FDA found that the E. coli came from raw, slivered onions that were added to the burgers. 

Though, there is no so-called “continued food safety concern” because the onions being complained about have been withdrawn from the markets, and no more people got infected by the bacteria since McDonald’s stopped using onions in its products since October 22, state health departments noted. 

As reported by Medicalxpress, although the source of the outbreak was inconclusive, one sample of now recalled onions given by Taylor Farms, a vegetable and fruit growers from Colorado, and an environmental sample from an onion grower in Washington State were positive to E. coli. However, those samples did not match the strain found in those who fell ill, the FDA pointed out. 

However, in its investigation, the authorities said they identified that the yellow onions caused the disease, owing to interviews in the affected individuals and data from the companies, which distributed the product. Among consumers who remembered what they consumed, about 84 per cent of them reported they consumed a food product with diced onions, according to the agency. 

The fast-food chain, McDonalds has since announced that it will cease to use Taylor Farms onions produced at the Colorado Springs plant. 

It has taken a while to get to this point and there were times that it was a struggle,” Michael Gonda, McDonald’s North America chief impact officer, and Cesar Piña, the company’s chief supply chain officer said on Tuesday. “But it is important that public officials consider all perspectives, and the problem is that they did not bend enough in this case; but we are thankful that they acted fast enough to establish that it was not a significant problem and, working with McDonald’s, resolve it.” 

The company said recently that they have restarted selling Quarter Pounders with slivered onions from other suppliers at outlets mentioned above. 

‘To the approximately 900 restaurants that had ceased to offer the Quarter Pounder burgers with slivered onions, McDonald said it had traced another supplier’, it said in the November 14 statement. ‘These restaurants resumed serving of Quarter Pounder burgers with slivered onions in the week leading up to September 29.’