In brief
After thorough testing revealed no contamination in its beef patties, McDonald's is lifting the suspension of its Quarter Pounder menu item across the United States, while addressing the source of the recent E. coli concerns.
McDonald's has announced the resumption of its Quarter Pounder sales in all U.S. locations after confirming that its beef patties were not the source of an E. coli outbreak that resulted in one death and multiple illnesses. The company received confirmation from the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) that the samples taken from its beef patties tested negative for bacterial contamination, leading to the decision to lift the sales suspension. Last week, McDonald's halted the sale of Quarter Pounders in about 20% of its U.S. outlets as a precautionary measure amid the outbreak. "The issue appears to be contained to a particular ingredient and geography," stated Cesar Piña, McDonald's North America Chief Supply Chain Officer. "We remain confident that any contaminated product related to this outbreak has been removed from our supply chain." In tackling the outbreak, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had identified slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounder as a potential source of the contamination. As a response, McDonald's terminated its relationship with the supplier of the onions and has implemented changes to its ingredient sourcing. The company confirmed that the 900 restaurants historically supplied with slivered onions from the affected supplier will once again offer Quarter Pounders, albeit without the slivered onions. Meanwhile, McDonald's is also dealing with lawsuits from several individuals who reported falling ill due to the outbreak as it continues to address the circumstances surrounding the contamination.
