A bit of disconcerting news for consumers, an outbreak of E. coli has led several large fast food chains to recall onions from certain restaurants scattered across the United States, including Burger King, KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. It was a recent outbreak attributed to McDonald’s, wherein the pre-sliced onions on their famous Quarter Pounders had some speculations for being the potential source of contamination, well documented in this article, The ingredients suspected of carrying E. coli bacteria in McDonald’s Quarter Pounders. While health authorities are investigating the situation, the fast-food industry is taking measures to make sure customers are safe.
The outbreak source
Onions supplied by Taylor Farms, an agricultural company based in California, have been associated with the outbreak. The reports said those onions were used in many fast food chains, resulting in wide recalls. The CDC reported at least 49 confirmed cases of E. coli infection related to the outbreak, including one reported death and several hospitalizations, some of which included severe cases with kidney complications.
McDonald’s itself has taken serious measures regarding the outbreak by not serving sliced onions and Quarter Pounders in about 20% of its chains in the United States. This corporation is working together with health authorities to pinpoint the source of the contamination and reassuring people that it is eager concerning food safety.
Food chains take action
As soon as McDonald’s made the first move, other fast-food restaurants have also taken some rapid steps to save their customers from possible harm:
- Burger King: A company representative said about 5% of its restaurants get onions from the same Colorado facility used by McDonald’s. No illnesses have been sourced to those Burger King outlets, but the company nonetheless ordered those restaurants to discard any onions provided by Taylor Farms. “We want to reassure our guests this does not affect our lettuce, pickles and any other produce,” the company said in a statement. “All our onions are whole onions, that are washed and prepared fresh in our restaurants.
- KFC and Taco Bell: Yum! Brands-parent company of KFC and Taco Bell-took a similar precautionary measure by removing fresh onions from some locations. They said that they have been working off supplier and regulatory guidance to ensure food safety.
- Pizza Hut: Since Yum! Brands is the parent company, Pizza Hut has also pulled onions from some restaurants as a precautionary measure.
This united move by fast-food giants says a lot about the seriousness of the situation and how serious they are as far as consumer safety is concerned.
Affected areas
Most chains have not released specific information on which of their locations are affected, but reports indicate that high-volume states include Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and parts of Idaho. Consumers in those locations should be particularly aware and can check with local restaurants about the availability of menu items containing onions.
Major food distributors including US Foods and Sysco Corp have also notified their customers of the recall, and are working to remove the potentially contaminated items from the food chain.
Health risks from E. Coli
E. coli is a bacterium that, if ingested, may cause serious foodborne illness in humans. Common symptoms include severe diarrhea, often bloody; stomach cramps; vomiting; and fever. In rare cases, particularly in vulnerable populations of children and the elderly, infection with E. coli can lead to serious complications, such as Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), which may cause kidney failure. Given the severity of this outbreak and its significance to public health, the CDC has continued to closely monitor the situation while advising consumers on ways to handle food safely.
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