The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that pre-slivered onions served on McDonald’s Quarter Pounders are likely linked to the outbreak. Credit: 6428W Digital Art/ Shutterstock.

US fast-food chains have begun removing fresh onions from their menus after the vegetable was identified as the likely source of an E coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have identified the onions as a likely source of the outbreak.

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The outbreak has resulted in 49 illnesses and one death.

Restaurant Brands International, the parent company of Burger King, and Yum Brands have also announced they would eliminate fresh onions from their menus.

A Burger King spokesperson stated that 5% of its locations have removed onions from their offerings, Reuters has reported.

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On 24 October 2024, the FDA confirmed that Taylor Farms was the supplier for the affected locations of McDonald’s and that the company had initiated a voluntary recall.

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“Yellow onions were sold to additional food service customers. Customers who received recalled onions have been directly notified of the recall,” an FDA spokesperson told Reuters.

Taylor Farms did not respond to a request for comment, stated the news agency.  

The fast-food giant removed the items from menus in 20% of its more than 13,000 US restaurants as a precautionary measure as federal authorities probe the outbreak.

Nearly 5% of Burger King locations receive supplies from Taylor Farms, but a company spokesperson noted that Burger King has not been contacted by health authorities and has not reported any illnesses.

In a statement to Bloomberg News, Yum, the parent company of restaurant brands KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, stated that it is removing onions “out of an abundance of caution.”