McDonald’s has withdrawn its Quarter Pounder burgers from 20 per cent of its locations across the US due to a link between the product and an E. Coli outbreak in 10 US states.
The fast food giant has taken the burgers off the menu in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, and parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, as per a report by the Associated Press.
This comes after the death of one person and multiple hospitalisations caused by E. Coli outbreak, which the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) linked to the Quarter Pounder in these states. Federal health authorities reported that at least 49 people had to be admitted to the hospital after eating the burger.
Tom Skinner, a spokesperson for the CDC, told Reuters that further cases of E. Coli are anticipated. “McDonald’s has moved rather quickly to take action to, hopefully, prevent as many cases as possible,” he said.
‘Go to McDonald’s and enjoy our classics’
Despite the outbreak, McDonald’s executives are asking customers to continue dining at their outlets. Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s US operations, said that the company responded promptly and ensured the burger was removed from affected locations.
“We are very confident that you can go to McDonald’s and enjoy our classics. We took swift action yesterday to remove the Quarter Pounder from our menu,” Erlinger was cited saying by The Mirror.
McDonald’s also said that initial investigations suggest the infections may be linked to onions provided by one supplier. The company has halted distribution of these onions. “We take food safety extremely seriously and it’s the right thing to do,” the company added.
When asked why no restaurants were shut down, McDonald’s said that the government’s investigation found no issues with the company’s food handling processes.
(With inputs from agencies)