The U.S. government announced Tuesday that it has concluded its investigation into an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers, stating that the threat to public safety has passed.
The outbreak, initially reported on October 22, affected at least 104 individuals across 14 states, with 34 requiring hospitalization. One person in Colorado tragically passed away, and four others developed a serious kidney complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The investigation, led by the FDA in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health departments, traced the outbreak to yellow onions supplied by Taylor Farms, a California-based company. These onions were served raw on Quarter Pounders at McDonald’s locations in Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, and other states.
No new cases have been reported since October 21, the same day McDonald’s removed the Quarter Pounder from its menu in the affected areas. Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled its yellow onions on October 22.
While federal and state officials in Colorado did not detect the E. coli strain in tested onions or environmental samples, evidence pointed to the recalled onions as the likely source of the contamination.
“McDonald’s is no longer serving recalled onions, and there does not appear to be any ongoing food safety concern related to this outbreak,” the FDA stated on Tuesday.
McDonald’s Response and Impact
As a precaution, McDonald’s initially removed Quarter Pounders from 3,000 locations nationwide before narrowing the recall to 900 stores after tests ruled out hamburger patties as the cause. By last month, the company had secured a new onion supplier and resumed offering Quarter Pounders with slivered onions in all U.S. locations.
However, the outbreak significantly impacted consumer confidence. In mid-November, McDonald’s announced plans to invest $100 million to rebuild customer trust, including $65 million earmarked for support to the most affected franchisees.
The Chicago-based company declined to disclose whether sales in the impacted regions have returned to normal but expressed gratitude to regulators for their swift action. “We remain confident in our stringent food safety standards,” McDonald’s said in a statement.
This marks McDonald’s most serious food safety issue since 2018, when over 500 people fell ill after consuming salads contaminated with intestinal bacteria.
Legal Action and Personal Stories
McDonald’s also refrained from commenting on legal proceedings stemming from the E. coli outbreak.
Nicole and Richard West, a family from Townsend, Montana, have filed a lawsuit against McDonald’s after their 11-month-old daughter, Logan, was hospitalized in October due to E. coli poisoning. The child had eaten a small portion of her father’s Quarter Pounder with onions during a family road trip on October 2.
Logan became severely ill days later, experiencing intense vomiting and diarrhea. She was hospitalized and diagnosed with E. coli O157:H7, a strain that can cause life-threatening illness, particularly in young children.
Richard West also fell ill but did not seek medical treatment as he stayed home to care for the couple’s other children. He lost over two weeks of income as a truck driver due to the illness, leaving the family burdened with mounting medical bills.
While Logan’s condition has improved, the experience has left the West family deeply skeptical of McDonald’s.
“With kids, when you want to eat out, they always ask for McDonald’s and a Happy Meal,” Nicole West said. “But we just don’t trust it anymore.”
