US-based foodservice supplier Taylor Farms has commenced a voluntary recall of certain yellow onions supplied to fast-food chains following an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounder burgers.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating whether the onions in the Quarter Pounder burgers are the source of the outbreak.
Taylor Farms has been the supplier of the onions from its Colorado Springs facility to McDonald’s and other restaurants.
The E.coli outbreak has led to one death and infected about 75 individuals across 13 states as of last Thursday (24 October), according to the FDA.
On 22 October, McDonald's removed onions used on beef patties in Quarter Pounders in its affected locations across Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming and parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, the Colorado Department of Agriculture has reported that no E. coli was detected in the beef patty samples used for Quarter Pounders at McDonald's locations in Colorado.
In view of the ongoing probe, McDonald’s had decided to stop sourcing onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility “indefinitely”.
McDonald's North America chief supply chain officer Cesar Piña said: “Over the weekend, McDonald’s was informed that the Colorado Department of Agriculture has completed their testing, the results of which confirm that there was no detection of E. coli in the samples taken of Quarter Pounder beef patties from restaurants in this area. We’ve been informed there is no further testing planned for beef patties.
“Overlaying the CDC's Epidemiological data with our supply chain traceback data, we have ruled out Quarter Pounder patties as the source.”
In a statement issued yesterday (27 October), the fast-food chain stated its plans to resume the sale of Quarter Pounders “in all restaurants in the coming week”, and this would be done on a rolling basis, depending on delivery and resupply operations.
The 900 McDonald’s restaurants in these states that previously received sliced onions from the Colorado Springs facility of Taylor Farms will resume selling Quarter Pounders, but now without the onions.
Meanwhile, Yum Brands has also removed onions from select Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut locations following the outbreak.
A Yum Brands' spokesperson said: “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. We will continue following supplier and regulatory guidance to ensure the ongoing safety and quality of our food.”
In another and separate recall, US-based private-label supplier TreeHouse Foods expanded a recall of frozen waffles products last week to encompass all products manufactured at a facility in Ontario, Canada.
That recall was linked to the potential presence of listeria.
