One of the nation's biggest food distributors was involved, according to swift-acting government investigators.
A Major Ingredient Has Been Recalled in Response to the McDonald’s Food Poisoning Outbreak
Published on Oct. 24, 2024
On Wednesday, reports were suggesting that the McDonald’s E. coli outbreak may have been due to two possible ingredients: Raw sliced onions, or quarter-pounder beef patties. Today, it seems authorities have narrowed it down even further—and now a nationwide onion recall has been announced.
US Foods is considered the second-largest food distributor in the country, supplying about 300,000 restaurants and food service operators nationwide. As of Thursday morning, US Foods had sent a notice to customers that a supplier, Taylor Farms, had announced an onion recall due to “possible E. coli contamination.”
Four different types of yellow onions were mentioned in the Taylor Farms recall:
- 30 pound cases of jumbo peeled yellow onions (Batch codes: TFC278, TFC281, TFC282, TFC283, TFC284, TFC285, TFC288, TFC289, TFC290, TFC292)
- 4 to 5 pound cases, branded as Cross Valley Farms, of 3/8-inch diced yellow onions (Batch codes: TFC277, TFC278, TFC281, TFC282, TFC283, TFC284, TFC285, TFC288, TFC289, TFC291, TFC292)
- 5 pound cases of diced yellow onions (Batch codes: TFC278, TFC281, TFC283, TFC285, TFC288, TFC290, TFC292)
- 5 to 6 pound cases of whole peeled yellow onions (Batch codes: TFC278, TFC281, TFC282, TFC283, TFC284, TFC285, TFC288, TFC289, TFC290,TFC291, TFC292)
It is not clear from the notice how many total onions are potentially a part of the recall. The notice instructs customers to review their inventories, make note of the number of affected cases, and destroy any products connected to the recall.
It is not yet confirmed whether the Taylor Farms onions are responsible for the E. coli outbreak connected to the chain’s Quarter Pounder burgers. In a statement released by McDonald’s on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, the company said: “The initial findings from the investigation indicate that a subset of illnesses may be linked to slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounder and sourced by a single supplier that serves three distribution centers.”
As of press time, there have been 49 reported cases to the CDC of E. coli illnesses in connection to the McDonald’s Quarter Pounders. The majority of the infected individuals have lived in Colorado, Nebraska, Utah, or Wyoming, per a data map from the CDC.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, common symptoms of an E. coli infection include:
- Watery diarrhea (sometimes bloody)
- Low fever
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomach pains and cramps
- Fatigue
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that any person experiencing E. coli symptoms who has recently been to McDonald’s should reach out to their healthcare provider.
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