A recent outbreak of an E. coli strain is putting some tarnish on the Golden Arches. As The New York Times reported on October 22, 2024, 49 people throughout the western part of the nation have gotten sick after consuming one of McDonald’s most popular menu items, Quarter Pounders. (At the time the article was written, the Associated Press had reported that one individual had died as a result of the outbreak and 10 others had been hospitalized.)
According to a food safety alert released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), no single ingredient has been identified as the sole E. coli carrier. However, the CDC does mention that the slivered onions used to make Quarter Pounders are a suspected contaminant.
In response to the breaking news, McDonald’s issued a public statement from its North America Chief Supply Chain Officer. The statement outlines the steps the chain is taking to ensure the public’s safety, which include: a) temporarily suspending Quarter Pounder sales in all or some of its restaurants across a multistate region and b) issuing the removal of slivered onions from stores that received onions from a specific supplier potentially linked to the outbreak.
A bacteria that wreaks digestive havoc
E. coli is a bacteria that can be harmless to humans in some situations, as explained by the Mayo Clinic. However, some E. coli strains can cause serious health issues. For instance, E. coli O157:H7 (typically found in contaminated ground beef and produce) can lead to severe diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, abdominal pain, nausea, and related symptoms, as well as kidney problems. And E. coli O157:H7 was the strain found in the McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
It can take up to a week for signs of E. coli O157:H7 to emerge. Consequently, if you recently ate a Quarter Pounder at a McDonald’s in Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin, or Wyoming (which are states named in reports on the outbreak from various outlets), you may want to stay alert for any changes in your health. Though most cases of E. coli O157:H7 resolve themselves without medical attention, every person reacts differently.
This isn’t the first time an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has been associated with a fast food brand. As Reuters notes, four children died in the early 1990s after eating burgers containing E. coli O157:H7 at Jack in the Box.
