Denver, Colorado: McDonald’s has confirmed that beef patties are not the source of the recent E. coli outbreak linked to its Quarter Pounder hamburgers, which has resulted in one death and nearly 75 illnesses. “We remain very confident that any contaminated product related to this outbreak has been removed from our supply chain and is out of all McDonald’s restaurants,” stated Cesar Pina, the fast-food chain’s Chief Supply Chain Officer.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture reported that all subsamples from various lots of McDonald’s fresh and frozen beef patties tested negative for E. coli. They added that beef testing has concluded, and they do not expect further samples.
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In light of these findings, McDonald’s plans to resume the distribution of fresh Quarter Pounder supplies, with the product expected to be available in all restaurants within the coming week. Investigations had initially focused on whether the beef patties were involved in the outbreak.
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While regulators, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, McDonald’s reassured customers that E. coli bacteria can be effectively killed in beef when cooked properly. Affected restaurants will serve Quarter Pounders without raw, slivered onions until further notice.
