CNN
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Contemporary slivered onions served on McDonald’s Quarter Pounders have been the probably supply of an E. coli outbreak that has led to at least one loss of life and diseases in additional than a dozen states, the US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention and US Meals and Drug Administration mentioned Wednesday.
Further circumstances related to the outbreak have additionally been reported, bringing the overall variety of diseases to 90 and hospitalizations to 27. Nonetheless, the CDC notes that the present threat to the general public is “very low,” because the reported diseases occurred earlier than the affected onions have been faraway from meals service areas.
“It’s not essential to keep away from consuming onions or different meals made with onions,” the CDC said.
Final week, provider Taylor Farms issued a recall of 4 onion merchandise attributable to “potential E. coli contamination.” McDonald’s shops in affected areas have quickly stopped utilizing slivered onions, and different quick meals eating places that obtained onions from this provider – together with Burger King, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC – have proactively eliminated contemporary onions from their menus at some areas.
It’s not probably that the recalled onions went to grocery shops or on to customers, the CDC mentioned Wednesday. Diced onions used at McDonald’s have additionally not been linked to this outbreak, according to the FDA.
Beef patties used on Quarter Pounders have been additionally a part of the investigation, which began on October 22. However the Colorado Division of Agriculture said on Sunday that McDonald’s contemporary beef patties used for the Quarter Pounder examined unfavourable for E. coli, and the US Division of Agriculture’s Meals Security and Inspection Service mentioned on Monday that proof didn’t level to floor beef because the possible supply of the E. coli outbreak.
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McDonald’s announced on Sunday that they might resume promoting Quarter Pounders in all eating places this week, however the 900 eating places that had beforehand obtained slivered onions from Taylor Farms wouldn’t embrace onions on these sandwiches.