WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, federal authorities reported an increase in E. coli poisoning cases linked to individuals who consumed food at McDonald’s. Investigators, who are working to identify the source of the outbreak, have pinpointed an “onion grower of interest” based in Washington state.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the number of affected individuals across 13 states has risen to 90, up from 75 cases reported at the end of the previous week. The hospitalization figures also saw a rise, with five additional individuals admitted, bringing the total to 27. One fatality has been associated with this outbreak.
Officials suspect that the raw, sliced onions utilized in McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers are the primary source of the E. coli contamination. The fast-food giant indicated that the onions in question were supplied by a single provider, Taylor Farms, which is based in California. Following this outbreak, the company has initiated a recall of the yellow onions distributed to McDonald’s and other restaurant chains.
The FDA has stated that it is conducting inspections at Taylor Farms’ processing facility located in Colorado Springs, as well as at the unidentified “onion grower of interest” in Washington state. Of the individuals who contracted E. coli, over 80% reported consuming McDonald’s menu items that included fresh, sliced onions, according to the FDA’s findings.
Last week, McDonald’s confirmed that onions from the Colorado Springs facility were supplied to around 900 of its locations, including restaurants in travel hubs such as airports. The fast-food chain announced plans to resume serving Quarter Pounders at numerous locations after it was concluded through testing that the beef patties were not linked to the outbreak.
The E. coli strain involved in this outbreak can lead to severe diarrhea and may result in kidney failure and other serious health issues. Annually, this bacterium is responsible for approximately 74,000 infections, leading to more than 2,000 hospitalizations and around 61 deaths in the United States, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
FDA officials stated that the current risk of illness is considered “low,” as the onions have been recalled and should no longer be accessible to consumers. They emphasized that all documented cases occurred prior to the removal of the onions from the market by Taylor Farms and McDonald’s.