A bacteria outbreak at a US fast food chain caused customers to suffer deadly food poisoning

A bacteria outbreak in McDonald's alerted US authorities after 50 customers in 10 states got food poisoning from a common microbe called E. Coli.

The widespread outbreak involved restaurants in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

According to AP News, the CDC said 10 people were hospitalized, and one died after contracting the bacteria at the food chain restaurants.

E. Coli is a common species of bacteria with several harmless types. However, according to experts, the kind found at McDonald's can cause severe stomach distress.

The food poisoning might lead to kidney failure in young children, older adults, or people with weak immune systems, AP News said. That was the case with the patients in severe conditions.

The news agency said the food poisoning cases happened from September 27 to October 11. Patients' ages ranged from 13 to 88, and all said they had eaten at McDonald's.

More specifically, 18 patients told the CDC they had eaten beef sandwiches at the fast-food chain, and 16 identified the hamburger as its signature Quarter Pounder.

According to CNN, the US Food and Drug Administration said the slivered onions or beef patties served with the sandwich could be the source of the outbreak.

However, McDonald's later confirmed that the onions, from a California produce company, were the source of the E. Coli outbreak.

According to AP News, the company's officials said Taylor Farms, from Salinas, California, sent the onions to one distribution facility but did not specify which.

Photo: Mayu Ken CNZ / Unsplash

According to The Wall Street Journal, Taylor Farms recalled yellow onions produced at its Colorado facility. However, it also clarified that its pathogen tests have not found E. coli. AP News said the FDA did not confirm the contaminated onions were from Taylor Farms.

Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC, all from the same parent company removed fresh onions from some locations due to the outbreak, The WSJ informed.

According to CCN, McDonald's removed Quarter Pounders from the menu in a fifth of its US stores. The company also stopped using raw slivered onions and Quarter-Pound patties.

However, Bill Marler, a Seattle lawyer who has sued companies over food poisoning outbreaks, told AP News that good practice would have been to close the entire restaurant.

The lawyer told the news agencies that cross-contamination from bacteria can be an issue until the kitchen is thoroughly cleaned. He also said the company should be more transparent to consumers.

Photo: Jurij Kenda / Unsplash

McDonald's told the AP that "nothing in the government's investigation indicated there were issues with its food preparation practices." They also said the contaminated product may have already passed through their supply chain.

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