The Quarter Pounder is back on the menu this week at all McDonald’s locations following an E. coli outbreak linked to onions used in its burgers, though the company warns “case counts will grow.”
The move comes after the Colorado Department of Agriculture finished testing samples taken from Quarter Pounder beef patties, finding “no detection of E. coli,” McDonald’s North America Chief Supply Chain Officer Cesar Piña said.
“The issue appears to be contained to a particular ingredient and geography, and we remain very confident that any contaminated product related to this outbreak has been removed from our supply chain and is out of all McDonald’s restaurants,” the company said in a statement.
But “health officials have noted that with increased awareness, more people will seek medical attention and case counts will grow,” the company continued. “This awareness is a good thing, as it can lead to people being vigilant and connecting with medical professionals.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there have been at least 75 people sickened across 13 states, with 22 out of the 75 people requiring hospitalization and one reported death. The Colorado Department of Public Health identified that the one death occurred in the state and was an “older person with underlying conditions.”
Government officials are working to identify the source of the outbreak.
