United States: McDonald’s has resumed Quarter Pounder sales across all U.S. locations after Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) testing cleared its beef patties as a source of the recent E. coli outbreak. The outbreak, which resulted in one death and multiple illnesses, led the fast-food giant to break sales last week in about 20% of its U.S. outlets as a precaution.
Testing by the CDA found no evidence of E. coli in McDonald’s beef patties. McDonald’s North America Chief Supply Chain Officer Cesar Pina stated that, “The issue appears to be confined to a particular ingredient and geography, and we remain very confident that any contaminated product related to this outbreak has been extracted from our supply chain.”
Earlier, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration pinpointed slivered onions used in Quarter Pounders as a possible source of contamination. McDonald’s has since stopped functioning with the onion supplier, Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility, and removed their products from the supply chain. Approximately 900 restaurants that earlier used these slivered onions have resumed Quarter Pounder sales without them.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending customers who have eaten a Quarter Pounder and are experiencing symptoms like diarrhoea, fever, or vomiting to seek medical attention. The symptoms of E. coli disclosure can develop within four days of consuming contaminated food, and while most people recover within a week, some cases may require hospitalisation.
The outbreak has put McDonald’s under scrutiny, leading to several lawsuits from affected individuals. Since the CDC reported the outbreak last week, McDonald’s stock has fallen by over 7.5%. This comes on the heels of a tough quarter for the chain, which posted a global sales drop in July—the first in over three years—as fast-food giants like McDonald’s and Burger King adapt to shifting consumer habits among inflationary pressures.
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