Earlier this week, US health officials identified slivered onions used in the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder as a potential cause of the E. coli outbreak that sickened at least 49 people, hospitalized 10 and killed one. Today McDonald’s officials named one produce company – Taylor Farms, of Salinas, California – as the source of the fresh onions suspected as the source of contamination. Other fast food companies, specifically Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Burger King and KFC, removed onions from certain locations.
“As we continue to monitor the recently reported E. coli outbreak, and out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively removed fresh onions from select Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants,” stated Yum Brands, the parent company of those brands. Tainted onions have caused other outbreaks in recent years. In 2015, Taylor Farms recalled a celery and onion mix which was an ingredient Costco’s chicken salads after 19 people fell ill from e Coli infections. In 2023, 80 people became sick and one person died from salmonella poisoning from diced onions supplied by Gills Onions.
Full Story: Associated Press, The Atlantic
