McDonald's: E. coli outbreak in the US blamed on onions. Alarm also in other chains
Other fast-food restaurants, including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King, have withdrawn onions from some menus
3' min read
3' min read
At the origin of the E. coli outbreak that led to the death of one person and another fifty or so suffering from serious illnesses were sliced onions. This was said by the McDonald's chain, which suffered a share crash on Wall Street the other day when news of the contamination problems spread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had in fact linked the serious outbreak to the American fast food chain.
Onions under indictment
McDonald's officials said that the Taylor Farms company, of Salinas, California, sent the onions to a distribution centre, and that from there they were then sorted to restaurants in several states. The chain thus decided to remove the Quarter Pounder burgers from the affected restaurants, but did not specify which distribution centre this was.
Meanwhile, other fast-food restaurants, including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King, have withdrawn onions from some menus.
U.S. Foods, a major restaurant wholesaler throughout the United States, said Taylor Farms had issued a recall this week for whole peeled and diced yellow onions for potential E. coli contamination. The recalled onions came from a Taylor Farms facility in Colorado, a U.S. Foods spokesman said. But the wholesaler also noted that it was not a McDonald's supplier and that its recall did not include any products sold in the fast food chain's restaurants.
Taylor Farms did not respond to multiple requests for comment. U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials have not confirmed that the agency is investigating Taylor Farms. A spokesman said Thursday that the agency is "looking at all sources" of the outbreak.
