McDonald’s is continuing to sell Quarter Pounder burgers at all U.S. restaurants after ruling out its beef patties as the source of an E. coli outbreak that killed at least one person and thousands of people. Dozens of others got sick.
The fast food giant said samples of its beef patties taken by the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) tested negative for bacteria.
The company added that CDA has no plans for further testing.
McDonald’s suspended Quarter Pounder sales last week at about a fifth of its U.S. restaurants in response to the outbreak.
“The issue appears to be related to a specific ingredient and geographic region, and we remain very confident that any product contamination associated with This outbreak has been eliminated from our supply chain.” said in a statement.
Previously, the US Food and Drug Administration pointed to chopped onions in Quarter Pounders as another potential source of the outbreak.
McDonald’s said it has stopped working with the onion supplier and removed it from its supply chain.
“The 900 restaurants that previously received sliced onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility will continue to sell Quarter Pounders without sliced onions,” McDonald’s said.
McDonald’s is facing lawsuits from several people who got sick.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people who have eaten a quarter pounder and experience symptoms such as diarrhea, fever and vomiting should see a doctor.
Symptoms may develop up to four days after consuming contaminated food.
Most people recover on their own within 5 to 7 days but some cases may require hospital care.
McDonald’s shares have lost more than 7.5% of their value since the CDC reported the outbreak last week.
In July, McDonald’s announced a surprise drop in global sales, its first quarterly sales decline in more than three years.
Fast food chains such as McDonald’s and Burger King have had to focus on offering more attractive value meals, as lower-income customers have felt the pinch from skyrocketing prices in recent years. This.
