McDonald's Has Responded To The E. Coli Outbreak And We're Not Loving It

McDonald's had plans for some big changes for 2024, but an outbreak of E. coli potentially caused by the chain's Quarter Pounders was not in the blueprints. Starting on September 27 and continuing into October, customers in Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming have reported sickness from E. coli connected to the fast food chain. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continues to investigate the source of the bacteria, which has so far sickened at least 49 people, 10 of which were hospitalized and one of which died.

On October 23, McDonald's USA President Joe Erlinger spoke with Today to make an official statement regarding the outbreak. "We are very confident that you can go to McDonald's and enjoy our classics," Erlinger told the outlet. "We took swift action yesterday to remove the Quarter Pounder from our menu." 

While taking the item off the menu is a reasonable course of action, describing it as "swift" appears hyperbolic at best, considering the large amount of individuals affected. In its investigation, the CDC has narrowed down potential sources of E. coli to the slivered fresh onions or burger patty in the Quarter Pounder (interestingly, it's the only McDonald's burger that is fresh, not frozen).

Joe Erlinger also told Today that McDonald's will keep cooperating with the CDC, and insisted that consumers can feel confident eating at the chain. He also cited food safety as a high priority for McDonald's. However, he stopped just short of saying that the company itself or the CDC are 100% confident that the issue has been resolved, stating that it's only "very likely."

"It is important to note that the onset dates for this disease are between, at this point, Sept. 27 and Oct. 11," he stated. "If there has been contaminated product within our supply chain, it's very likely worked itself through that supply chain already."

This is not the only food safety scandal that McDonald's has dealt with in the past five years. In 2022, the chain found itself in the center of a series of lawsuits regarding its use of PFAs, aka "forever chemicals," in its packaging. These controversial compounds have also been found in sparkling water and other packaged food and drinks. In 2021, the restaurant also came under fire (alongside several other fast food chains) when phthalates were found in some of its menu items. Phthalates, a type of chemicals used in plastic products, have been linked to negative effects on reproductive health.