McDonald's Cleared by CDC After Investigation into Lethal E. Coli Outbreak

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has cleared McDonald’s after a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to the Quarter Pounder. The CDC made the announcement on Tuesday, December 3.

McDonald’s chief impact officer Michael Gonda and chief supply chain officer Cesar Piña wrote in a recent statement that the CDC “has confirmed that their investigations into E. coli at McDonald’s are closed.”

McDonald’s restaurant in Burbank, California.

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The statement added that the federal agency found “no new illnesses associated with consumers eating at McDonald’s after our swift and decisive action on October 22, 2024.”

“This reinforces the importance of our values, especially in moving quickly to do the right thing and always putting people first,” Gonda and Piña wrote before thanking their restaurant teams for their obedience.

“The process to get to this point has at times felt long, challenging and uncertain,” the statement continued. “But it is critical that public officials investigate every possible angle, and we are deeply grateful that they acted quickly to identify and, in cooperation with McDonald’s, contain the problem.”

The CDC reported that the outbreak caused one death, 34 hospitalizations and 104 cases in 14 states, including Washington, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan and North Carolina.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention sign.

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E. coli can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting.

Four people affected by the outbreak developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a rare disease that can cause kidney failure, according to the CDC.

McDonald’s said the company was praised for its “immediate actions” in the affected areas that reduced the risk to the public. The restaurant confirmed that all products linked to the contamination had been removed from the supply chain by October 22.

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On November 13, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that there were no longer any food safety concerns related to the E. coli outbreak.

The outbreak was likely caused by “fresh, chopped onions” distributed by Taylor Farms and served at the Quarter Pounder restaurant, according to an investigation by the FDA, CDC and government partners.

McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburger with cheese and fries.

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The FDA was unable to find a strain related to a specific strain of E. coli in its onion and environmental samples, although they noted that the data showed that “we recall that yellow onions are the likely source of this outbreak.”

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PEOPLE previously reported that the CDC began its investigation on Tuesday, October 22.

The first case was recorded on September 27, although illnesses were documented until October 21. However, the CDC noted that “the true number of people affected in this outbreak is also likely to be much higher than the number reported.”

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Piña wrote in an internal message on the brand’s newsroom website at the time that the company was “taking swift and decisive action following” the outbreak.

“The first findings from the investigation indicate that a subset of the illness may be linked to the sliced ​​onions used in the Quarter Pounder and coming from a single supplier serving three distribution centers,” Piña said.

In some states, the Quarter Pounder was temporarily removed from the menu, although other beef products were “unchanged and available.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education