US fast food chains begin removing fresh onions from menus following E coli outbreak

USA – Fast food chains in the United States have begun removing fresh onions from their menu offerings after the vegetable was identified as a likely culprit of an E coli outbreak associated with McDonald’s Quarter Pounders.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have identified onions as a probable source of the E. coli outbreak.

The outbreak has resulted in 75 reported illnesses across 13 states, with 22 people hospitalized and one death, according to recent CDC updates, with Colorado experiencing the majority of cases.

In response to the outbreak, several major fast food chains, including Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, and Yum Brands, have opted to remove fresh onions from their menus as a precaution.

Reuters reported that approximately 5% of Burger King locations have taken onions off their offerings.

On October 24, 2024, the FDA confirmed that Taylor Farms supplied onions to certain McDonald’s outlets associated with the outbreak, and the supplier has since issued a voluntary recall.

An FDA spokesperson stated that yellow onions had been sold to additional food service clients, who had been directly notified of the recall. Taylor Farms has not yet commented on the situation.

McDonald’s has temporarily removed its Quarter Pounder burger from menus at about 20% of its 13,000 U.S. locations while the investigation continues.

However, on October 27, McDonald’s announced that Quarter Pounders would return to menus in the upcoming week after the company reviewed new data indicating that fresh beef patties were not a source of contamination, based on information from Colorado’s agriculture department and McDonald’s own supply chain analysis.

The company is now asking beef suppliers to produce a new supply of fresh beef patties, and the Quarter Pounder is expected to be available in all restaurants in the coming week.

The CDC issued a food safety alert on October 22, noting that many affected individuals had consumed Quarter Pounders before becoming ill.

Yum Brands, the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, has also opted to remove onions “out of an abundance of caution,” according to a statement provided to Bloomberg News.

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