A McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburger is shown on this photograph, in Latest York’s Times Square, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. An E. coli outbreak has been traced to McDonald’s Quarter Pound hamburgers served with raw slivered onions.
Richard Drew | AP
The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that it’s investigating whether Taylor Farms, a supplier for McDonald’s, is the possible source of the E. coli outbreak linked to Quarter Pounder hamburgers, which has killed at the least one person and sickened nearly 50 others.
In a notice to customers, distributor U.S. Foods said Taylor Farms announced a recall on 4 raw onion products out of an abundance of caution “as a result of potential E. coli contamination.” The notice urged customers corresponding to restaurants to stop using and destroy the affected products as soon as possible.
The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have honed in on slivered onions served on the hamburgers because the likely source of contamination.
An FDA spokesperson confirmed Thursday the agency was investigating Taylor Farms, adding, “We’re taking a look at all possible sources.”
As of Wednesday, 49 people have been sickened with E. coli infections linked to the outbreak. One older adult has died, and 10 others, including a baby affected by hemolytic uremic syndrome, have been hospitalized.
Colorado restaurant chains, including Illegal Pete’s and Taco Bell, also removed onions from their menu following the recall, in keeping with local reports. There aren’t any signs of E. coli illnesses linked to those restaurants.
Until now, it wasn’t clear where the McDonald’s onions were sourced from — neither the restaurant chain nor public health officials had said publicly where the onions were grown or whether or not they were sent to other restaurants.
A McDonald’s spokesperson said Wednesday that the raw onions were sourced from a single supplier and processed at a single facility. They’re sliced and packaged at the power as raw vegetables in individual bags after which distributed to restaurants.
A spokesperson for Taylor Farms didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment. In line with the corporate’s website, Taylor Farms is a California-based producer of fresh-cut vegatables and fruits.
The strain of E. coli within the outbreak, called O157:H7, produces a robust toxin that may damage the liner of the small intestine.
Health officials said Wednesday that they expect the variety of cases to grow.
