Fast-food businesses are withdrawing their onions in response to the E. Coli outbreak linked to McDonald's.
It might be wise to steer clear of fast food onions for a short spell. Following the outbreak of Escherichia coli traced back to McDonald's Quarter Pounders and the onions typically used on them, chains like Burger King, KFC, and others have removed onions from some of their offerings in certain locations. The supplier suspected of contaminating McDonald's onions has also issued a recall of several of its products.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publicized the E. coli outbreak on Tuesday, affecting at least 49 individuals, hospitalizing ten, and leading to one death across ten states up until now. The majority of the victims had consumed Quarter Pounders, but health officials and McDonald's themselves are now doubting that the true source of E. coli is the "fresh slivered" onions commonly used on the burger item. On Thursday, McDonald's revealed that their sole supplier of these onions was Taylor Farms, most likely from one of its facilities in Colorado. Fast food chains are now being vigilant about their onions as a result.
On Thursday, Today.com reported that Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut have all eliminated onions from various restaurant locations. For the time being, these removals seem to be a precautionary measure, not an indication that the outbreak has spread beyond McDonald's. A Burger King representative told Today that most of its onion supply has minimal overlap with McDonald's, but that approximately 5% is sourced from Taylor Farms' Colorado facility.
"Despite no contact from health authorities and no indications of illness, we proactively asked our 5% of restaurants who received whole onions distributed by this facility to discard them immediately two days ago and we are in the process of restocking them from other facilities," Burger King's statement read.
On Wednesday, distributor U.S. Foods informed some of its clients that Taylor Farms had recalled four types of onion products "due to potential E. coli contamination," advising that affected products should be discarded promptly. However, U.S. Foods is not a supplier for McDonald's, and the recall is not directly linked to the outbreak. In a statement released on Thursday, Taylor Farms stated that it routinely tests its foods for pathogens and has never detected E. coli O157:H7—the strain implicated in the current outbreak—associated with onions in the past.
"Out of an abundance of caution, Taylor Farms Colorado removed yellow onions from the market produced at our Colorado facility," the company added. "We are continuing to work closely with the FDA and CDC during this ongoing investigation. Our primary concern is the health and wellness of our customers and consumers, as well as the safety and quality of our products."
O157:H7 is known for producing toxins that can enhance the risk of severe, life-threatening complications, particularly hemolytic–uremic syndrome (HUS). One victim in the outbreak, a young child, has developed HUS thus far and was admitted to the hospital, though it is not the same child who passed away after contracting the infection. Children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to severe illness from E. coli and other foodborne germs.
The full extent of this outbreak remains uncertain, but the legal backlash has already started. On Wednesday, Colorado resident Eric Stelly became the first person to file a lawsuit against McDonald's, claiming that he contracted a case of E. coli severe enough to require a trip to the emergency room. Additional lawsuits are pending, according to Stelly's lawyers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged restaurants to enhance their food safety measures to prevent such outbreaks in the future. With advancements in science and technology, more sophisticated testing methods can be implemented to ensure the safety of food supplies.
As the Food and Drug Administration continues its investigation into the source of the contamination, companies like Taylor Farms can use cutting-edge technology to develop more efficient and reliable methods of pathogen detection, ensuring the safety and health of their customers.
