According to a statement released on Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration is looking into the possibility that Taylor Farms, a McDonald’s supplier, is the source of the E. coli outbreak linked to Quarter Pounder hamburgers, which has resulted in the illness of nearly 50 others and the death of at least one person.
U.S. Foods, the distributor, informed customers that Taylor Farms had recalled four raw onion products “due to potential E. coli contamination” out of caution. Customers, including restaurants, were urged to stop using the affected products and destroy them as soon as possible, according to the notice.
The hamburgers’ slivered onions have been identified as the likely source of contamination by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Thursday, a spokesperson for the FDA said, “We’re looking at all possible sources,” adding that the agency was looking into Taylor Farms.
There have been 49 cases of E. coli infections linked to the outbreak as of Wednesday. Ten people, including a child with hemolytic uremic syndrome, have been hospitalized, and one older adult has passed away.
According to local reports, Colorado restaurant chains such as Illegal Pete’s and Taco Bell also removed onions from their menus following the recall. There are no indications that those restaurants are linked to E. coli illnesses.
