Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a statement from McDonald's.
An E. coli outbreak, which has killed at least one person in Colorado and sickened dozens of others, is linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers or the onions served on them, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday.
The CDC said 49 people had been infected in 10 states, though the agency warned the number of infections was likely higher. Most illnesses were reported in Colorado and Nebraska, the agency said.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from Sept. 27 to Oct. 11. Of the 28 people with information available, 10 had been hospitalized, and one person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure.
“One death has been reported from an older adult in Colorado,” the CDC said, adding that the death was not the same person who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome.
Those infected ranged in age from 13 to 88 years old, the CDC said.
“Investigators are working quickly to confirm which food ingredient is contaminated,” the CDC said in an alert. “McDonald’s has pulled ingredients for these burgers, and they won’t be available for sale in some states.”
“Quarter Pounder hamburgers will not be available temporarily in some states,” the CDC said. “Investigators are working to confirm which ingredient in these hamburgers is making people sick and if it went to other restaurants or stores.”
The agency said McDonald's reported it had stopped using fresh slivered onions and quarter-pound beef patties in several states.
“McDonald's is proactively making these changes while investigators work to confirm the contaminated ingredient,” the CDC said. “Quarter-pound beef patties are only used on Quarter Pounders. Fresh slivered onions are primarily used on Quarter Pounder hamburgers and not other menu items.”
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, McDonald's North America chief supply chain officer Cesar Piña wrote:
"Across the McDonald’s System, serving customers safely in every single restaurant, each and every day, is our top priority and something we’ll never compromise on. It is why we are taking swift and decisive action following an E. Coli outbreak in certain states. The initial findings from the investigation indicate that a subset of illnesses may be linked to slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounder and sourced by a single supplier that serves three distribution centers. As a result, and in line with our safety protocols, all local restaurants have been instructed to remove this product from their supply and we have paused the distribution of all slivered onions in the impacted area.
Out of an abundance of caution, we are also temporarily removing the Quarter Pounder from restaurants in the impacted area, including Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. We take food safety extremely seriously and it’s the right thing to do. Impacted restaurants are receiving a stock recovery notice today and should reach out to their field supply chain manager or distribution center with any questions.
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). 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. We will continue to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and are committed to providing timely updates as we restore our full menu."
Additionally, McDonald's USA president Joe Erlinger has released the following video message:
Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected]
Follow him on X/Twitter: @RonRuggless
Alicia Kelso contributed to this report.
