McDonald's explains why it doesn't think its E. coli outbreak will be like Chipotle's in 2015

• McDonald's shared much insights Wednesday into its investigation into a deadly E. coli outbreak.
• Executives said its investigation suggested nan outbreak differed from what Chipotle faced successful 2015.
• McDonald's said early indicators propose slivered onions arsenic a apt imaginable containment, but it couldn't norm retired caller beef.

McDonald's shared much insights Wednesday into nan ongoing investigation into a deadly E. coli outbreak crossed 10 US states that nan CDC says has sickened 49 group and led to 1 death.

On a media briefing call, McDonald's executives reiterated that its Quarter Pounder was nan only paper point linked to nan outbreak.

Two ingredients — nan slivered onions and caller beef patties — are being examined arsenic imaginable sources of contamination. The institution said that each perchance affected nutrient products person been recalled from its impacted stores.

McDonald's executives said first indicators constituent to nan slivered onions arsenic nan much apt source, though they're not ruling retired nan caller beef patties.

The institution besides said that while slivered onions are utilized connected a meal sandwich successful immoderate markets, that paper point isn't impacted arsenic it was not disposable successful nan affected locations.

When asked really this lawsuit compares to prior E. coli outbreaks linked to Chipotle, nan McDonald's representatives said nan 2 look to beryllium different.

The Chipotle cases progressive nan handling and mentation of nutrient successful restaurants, McDonald's executives said. This outbreak involves perchance contaminated ingredients arriving from a supplier. The McDonald's cases besides correspond a comparatively debased percent of its wide nutrient served and successful an isolated geographic area, and contamination hasn't affected different paper items, they added.

Chipotle agreed to salary a $25 cardinal good successful 2020 to resoluteness criminal charges related to foodborne illnesses that caused complete 1,100 group to get sick betwixt 2015 and 2018.

In an question and reply pinch NBC earlier successful nan day, McDonald's USA president Joe Erlinger said nan institution is moving intimately pinch national agencies to place and incorporate nan issue.

"If location has been contaminated merchandise wrong our proviso chain, it's very apt worked itself through," he said. "Certainly we'll beryllium moving pinch nan CDC and cooperating pinch them connected nan investigation."

While E. coli contaminations tin beryllium associated pinch earthy aliases undercooked meat, nan institution said successful nan briefing that nan beef utilized successful its Quarter Pounder hamburgers is originated from aggregate different suppliers successful nan affected region.

In addition, nan officials said that aggregate restaurants would person had to neglect to hole nan meals according to nan company's standards, which specify burgers must beryllium cooked to an soul somesthesia of 175 degrees Fahrenheit — 15 degrees higher than nan period wherever E. coli is killed.

The institution besides said it performs periodic value power checks passim each time of cognition and that nan cases identified by nan CDC spanned a astir two-week period. During that time, astir a cardinal 4th pounders are usually sold successful that region.

McDonald's said nan slivered onions sold astatine affected restaurants travel from a azygous supplier and are served earthy connected nan sandwich.

The institution said it is unclear wherever successful nan proviso concatenation contamination mightiness person occurred if it did, arsenic onions are farmed, washed, and sliced earlier being further disinfected, bagged, and sent to restaurants successful refrigerated shipments. Executives said this strain of E. coli had ne'er earlier been traced to onions.

The institution besides said nan CDC and FDA first notified it of nan outbreak precocious past week, but that confirmed lawsuit numbers were overmuch little than they were connected Tuesday erstwhile nan nationalist announcement was announced.

Until a definitive azygous root of nan outbreak is identified, nan institution has halted income of its Quarter Pounder paper items successful nan affected region, which impacts astir one-fifth of its shop fleet.

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