McDonald’s Quarter Pounders have been linked to an E. Coli outbreak in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), reports of E. coli infections started on September 27, 2024 to October 11, 2024. The outbreak affected 14 states and at least 104 people.
Information from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that the onions in the McDonald’s Quarter Pounders are suspected to be the culprit behind the infections. The chain’s onion supplier, Taylor Farms, recalled their product on October 22, 11 days after the first report of E. coli. The possibility of the beef being contaminated was ruled out after the Colorado Department of Agriculture reported the beef to test negative for E. coli. The infection hospitalized 34 people and killed an elderly man.
The Quarter Pounders were quickly taken off the menu to prevent any further spread of E. Coli. After finding an alternate onion supplier, the burgers were added back to the menu and regular operations were resumed.
The first lawsuits against McDonald’s were filed in Colorado, where the majority of infections occurred. There was also a class action lawsuit filed on October 29, 2024, by two consumers in Florida and Illinois. A class action lawsuit is a lawsuit where a single case represents multiple people. The class action lawsuit was seeking 5 million dollars to reimburse customers for their purchase of quarter pounders. Even if someone did not get sick, a class action lawsuit can involve them. If McDonald’s did pay, the reward would be split between all the consumers involved. The plaintiffs claim that McDonald’s failed to warn customers of possible E. coli contamination, and if the customers did know, they would not eat any Quarter Pounders.
On December 3, 2024, the CDC announced the outbreak to be over, and closed their investigation. Two days later, McDonald’s released a statement saying, “Earlier today, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed that their respective investigations into E. Coli at McDonald’s have been closed. CDC also confirmed there were no new illnesses associated with consumers eating at McDonald’s following our swift and decisive action on October 22, 2024. This reinforces the importance of our values, particularly in moving quickly to do the right thing and always to put people first.”
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