McDonald’s announced Thursday that Taylor Farms is the source of the onions used in the Quarter Pounder, which has been removed from McDonald’s menus in multiple states following a deadly E. coli outbreak.
The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have cited shredded onions served with the hamburgers as a possible source of contamination.
In a notice to customers on Wednesday, distributor US Foods said Taylor Farms was issuing a recall of four raw onion products out of an abundance of caution due to “potential E. coli contamination.” . Customers at restaurants and other establishments were urged to stop using affected products and dispose of them as soon as possible.
Colorado restaurant chains such as Illegal Pete’s and Taco Bell have also removed onions from their menus following the recall. Yum’s PR representative! Parent company Brands, which owns Taco Bell, said Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken in some restaurants have also removed new onions from their menus. There are no signs of E. coli infections associated with these restaurants.
An FDA spokesperson said Thursday that the agency is investigating Taylor Farms as a possible source of the E. coli outbreak associated with the burgers, adding, “We are looking at all possible sources.”
As of Wednesday, at least 49 people had contracted E. coli infections linked to the outbreak. One elderly person has died and 10 people, including a child with hemolytic uremic syndrome, are hospitalized.
Until now, it was unclear where McDonald’s onions were sourced from. Neither the restaurant chain nor public health officials have said publicly where the onions were grown or sent to other restaurants.
A McDonald’s spokesperson said Wednesday that the raw onions were sourced from a single supplier and processed in a single facility. The vegetables are sliced at the facility, packed into bags as raw vegetables, and delivered to restaurants and other locations.
A Taylor Farms spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Taylor Farms is based in California and produces fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, according to the company’s website.
The prevalent E. coli strain, called O157:H7, produces a powerful toxin that can damage the lining of the small intestine.
Health officials said Wednesday they expected the number of infections to rise further.
Meanwhile, McDonald’s is already facing a lawsuit.
On Thursday, food safety law firm Ron Simon & Associates filed a lawsuit for the second time, this time on behalf of Clarissa DeBock, a Nebraska resident who claims she bought a Quarter Pounder at a local McDonald’s on Sept. 18. announced that they had filed a lawsuit. According to the complaint, Devock became ill and was forced to seek medical attention, where he tested positive for O157:H7.
The company’s first lawsuit was filed on behalf of Colorado resident Eric Sterry. Stelly said he suffered gastrointestinal symptoms after eating a hamburger at McDonald’s.
Ron Simon, the company’s managing partner, told NBC News that the company is currently representing 15 affected families, with patients ranging in age from 20 to 60.
“They’re in different states, different communities, with different outcomes,” he said.