McDonald's to start selling Quarter Pounders again due to E. coli test results

Los Angeles — McDonald's announced Sunday that Quarter Pounders will again beryllium connected its paper astatine hundreds of its restaurants aft testing ruled retired beef patties arsenic nan root of nan outbreak of E. coli poisoning tied to nan celebrated burgers that killed 1 personification and sickened astatine slightest 75 others crossed 13 states.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to judge that slivered onions from a azygous supplier are nan apt root of contamination, McDonald's said successful a statement. It said it will resume trading nan Quarter Pounder astatine affected restaurants -- without slivered onions - successful nan coming week.

As of Friday, nan outbreak had expanded to astatine slightest 75 group sick successful 13 states, national wellness officials said. A full of 22 group had been hospitalized, and 2 developed a vulnerable kidney illness complication, nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. One personification died successful Colorado.

Early accusation analyzed by nan FDA showed that uncooked slivered onions utilized connected nan burgers "are a apt root of contamination," nan agency said. McDonald's has confirmed that Taylor Farms, a California-based nutrient company, was nan supplier of nan caller onions utilized successful nan restaurants progressive successful nan outbreak and that they had travel from a installation successful Colorado Springs, Colorado.

McDonald's pulled nan Quarter Pounder burger from menus successful respective states - mostly successful nan Midwest and Mountain states - erstwhile nan outbreak was announced Tuesday. McDonald's said Friday that slivered onions from nan Colorado Springs installation were distributed to astir 900 of its restaurants, including immoderate successful proscription hubs for illustration airports.

The institution said it removed slivered onions originated from that installation from its proviso concatenation connected Tuesday. McDonald's said it has decided to extremity sourcing onions from Taylor Farms' Colorado Springs installation "indefinitely."

The 900 McDonald's restaurants that usually received slivered onions from Taylor Farms' Colorado Springs installation will resume income of Quarter Pounders without slivered onions, McDonald's said.

Testing by nan Colorado Department of Agriculture ruled retired beef patties arsenic nan source of nan outbreak, McDonald's said.

The section of agriculture received aggregate tons of caller and stiff beef patties collected from various Colorado McDonald's locations associated pinch nan E. coli investigation. All samples were recovered to beryllium antagonistic for E. coli, nan section said.

Taylor Farms said Friday that it had preemptively recalled yellowish onions sent to its customers from its Colorado installation and continues to activity pinch nan CDC and nan FDA arsenic they investigate.

While it remains unclear if nan recalled onions were nan root of nan outbreak, respective other fast-food restaurants - including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King - pulled onions from immoderate menus successful definite areas this week.

Colorado had nan astir illnesses reported arsenic of Friday, pinch 26 cases. At slightest 13 group were sickened successful Montana, 11 successful Nebraska, 5 each successful New Mexico and Utah, 4 each successful Missouri and Wyoming, 2 successful Michigan and 1 each successful Iowa, Kansas, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington, nan CDC reported.

McDonald's said Friday it didn't propulsion nan Quarter Pounder from immoderate further restaurants and noted that immoderate cases successful states extracurricular nan original region were tied to travel.

The CDC said immoderate group who sewage sick reported walking to different states earlier their symptoms started. At slightest 3 group said they ate astatine McDonald's during their travel. Illnesses were reported betwixt Sept. 27 and Oct. 11.

The outbreak involves infections pinch E. coli 0157:H7, a type of germs that produces a vulnerable toxin. It causes astir 74,000 infections successful nan U.S. annually, starring to much than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths each year, according to CDC.

Symptoms of E. coli poisoning tin hap quickly, wrong a time aliases 2 of eating contaminated food. They typically see fever, vomiting, diarrhea aliases bloody diarrhea and signs of dehydration - small aliases nary peeing, accrued thirst and dizziness. The infection is particularly vulnerable for children younger than 5 and group who are elderly, pregnant aliases who person weakened immune systems. 

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• McDonald's
• E. coli