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    • The E. coli outbreak may make you doubt food safety
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    The E. coli outbreak may make you doubt food safety

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    McDonald’s has withdrawn the Quarter Pounder from about a fifth of its restaurants over concerns about the sandwich’s link to an E. coli outbreak that killed one person and sickened at least 49 people.

    But the fast food giant says consumers should feel safe eating at its restaurants in the US, and in parts of the US where the Quarter Pounder has been removed from the menu.

    The beef patty and sliced ​​onions placed on it have been removed from restaurants in regions where people have reported becoming ill and eating a Quarter Pounder, the company said in a briefing Wednesday.

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said onions may be the cause of the outbreak. The onions used for the Quarter Pounder come from a single supplier in the affected regions, company spokespeople said at the briefing.

    McDonald’s has been working with safety regulators about the possible outbreak since late last week, while there were fewer known cases, the company said.

    Where the Quarter Pounder is on the menu: McDonald’s locations in 12 states were affected by the E. coli outbreak

    The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the FDA on Tuesday announced a Quarter Pounders investigation, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), into the outbreak.

    The beef patties used in making Quarter Pounders in the affected areas come from multiple suppliers, so that makes it a less likely culprit, McDonald’s said. And the FSIS has not yet completed its investigation into the beef used, so there is no final decision yet, the company said. To protect consumers, McDonald’s has withdrawn the Quarter Pounder and is also conducting its own research into the beef and onions used.

    “Given the recent events of the past 24 hours, our priority is to strengthen the confidence of American consumers,” McDonald’s United States President Joe Erlinger said Wednesday on NBC’s Today show.

    “Investigators from all agencies are working quickly to determine the contaminated ingredient,” the CDC said Tuesday.

    But what about someone craving a McDonald’s burger and fries in states that don’t have a Quarter Pounder on the menu? Is it really safe? Well, that depends on your risk-taking ability, experts say.

    Is it safe to eat at McDonald’s?

    Okay, now if you’re eating a burger, put it down, chew and swallow before you read the next sentence.

    Because onions are served fresh, they can become contaminated with E. Coli through fecal contamination, which can occur through wastewater, water in the growing area, fertilizer and the growing area’s proximity to livestock, according to food safety attorney Bill Marler and food scientist and food industry consultant , Bryan Quoc Le, told USA TODAY.

    According to McDonald’s, suppliers clean, cut and re-clean the onions before bagging them and refrigerating them. For regular burgers, several diced onions are used.

    Because the onions are not fully heated before consumption, they can pass that contamination on to consumers, they say.

    There have been significant outbreaks linked to onions and salmonella in the past, Marler said, and the process by which onions become contaminated with salmonella is no different than the process by which onions become contaminated with E. coli.

    McDonald’s has strict cooking standards and tests the heat of its Quarter Pounder patties, the company said. That makes onions the likely culprit, Marler said. “It would be unusual to have underheating in 10 different states, so it’s probably a good bet it’s the onion supplier, but there’s still a risk of cross-contamination within the restaurants,” he said.

    As for eating at the restaurants, he said, “I think it’s a little bit too early to say it’s safe to eat at McDonald’s,” Marler said.

    However, McDonald’s could increase its safety measures by closing the locations where E. coli illnesses occurred “to deep clean them” as potentially contaminated products passed through the kitchen facilities, Marler said. The potential for cross-contamination could occur in sinks, on cutting boards and other food preparation surfaces, he said.

    “I’m not suggesting that all McDonald’s are unsafe to eat,” Marler said. “However, I think that at least those restaurants that have confirmed illnesses should be closed for a period of time for a deep cleaning just in case.”

    Quoc Le is more likely to say that McDonald’s remains a “fairly safe bet” for fast-food fans. Beyond the Quarter Pounder, “there shouldn’t be any concern when it comes to eating it,” he said. “McDonald’s is quite good at logistics and distribution, which allows them to recall many of their products quite quickly.”

    But he added, “I mean, for now, probably for the next few days, you can avoid the Quarter Pounder, but the rest of the items I don’t see as a problem.”

    Which states are affected

    These are the states where 49 people are known to have gotten sick from E. coli infections between September 27 and October 11, the CDC says. One person in Colorado died and 10 people are hospitalized:

    • Colorado (26 cases)
    • Iowa (1)
    • Kansas (1)
    • Missouri (1)
    • Montana (1)
    • Nebraska (9)
    • Oregon (1)
    • Utah (4)
    • Wisconsin (1)
    • Wyoming (4)

    McDonald’s has removed the Quarter Pounder from its menu in Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

    What is E. coli and what are the symptoms

    E. coli, or Escherichia coli, is a type of bacteria that lives harmlessly in the intestines of people and animals. But some E. coli can cause mild to life-threatening gastrointestinal illness if consumed, the CDC says.

    The types of E. coli that can cause diarrhea usually spread through food or water contaminated with feces and contact with animals or people. Animals such as livestock can also spread E. coli to food and food crops. And food handlers can spread infections if they don’t practice good handwashing hygiene after using the restroom.

    E. coli infections can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting for five to seven days; According to the CDC, infections typically occur three to four days after consuming the germ.

    Contributing: Max Hauptman and James Powell, USA TODAY, and Reuters.

    Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & microphone snider.

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