Is Indiana Included? E. Coli Outbreak Linked To Quarter Pounder...

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Is Indiana Included? E. Coli Outbreak Linked To Quarter Pounder Burgers Sold At McDonald’s Across 10 States

The CDC issued a food safety alert on Tuesday concerning an E. coli outbreak that has sickened 49 people across 10 states, with most cases involving McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers.

To date, ten individuals have been hospitalized, and there has been one death.

Investigators are trying to pinpoint which specific ingredient in the Quarter Pounder is contaminated.

McDonald’s said in a statement that the initial investigation findings linked the onions to “a single supplier that serves three distribution centers.”

“We are working in close partnership with our suppliers to replenish supply for the Quarter Pounder in the coming weeks (timing will vary by local market),” it said. “In the meantime, all other menu items, including other beef products (including the Cheeseburger, Hamburger, Big Mac, McDouble and the Double Cheeseburger) are unaffected and available.”

As a precaution, McDonald’s has suspended the use of fresh slivered onions and quarter pound beef patties in certain states.

According to McDonald’s, initial findings indicate that some illnesses may be associated with slivered onions supplied by a single source to three distribution centers.

According to the CDC the outbreak has sickened people in Colorado (26), Nebraska (9), Utah (4), Wyoming (4), Oregon (1), Montana (1), Kansas (1), Missouri (1), Iowa (1), Wisconsin (1).

As a result, the Quarter Pounder will be temporarily unavailable in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, and parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.

People with E. coli infections may have symptoms including:

• severe stomach cramps
• diarrhea
• fever
• vomiting

Symptoms of infection usually begin three or four days after swallowing the bacteria.

Although most people who become ill recover without treatment within a week, others can develop serious kidney problems and require hospitalization.

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McDonald’s said in its statement that:

“serving customers safely in every single restaurant, each and every day, is our top priority”

and that it will continue working with the CDC on the investigation.

McDonald’s stock price dropped quickly in after-hours trading as news of the outbreak broke.

Is Indiana Included? E. Coli Outbreak Linked To Quarter Pounder Burgers Sold At McDonald’s Across 10 States  was originally published on wibc.com