[Fox Business] McDonald’s E. coli outbreak leads Taco Bell, Pizza Hut to yank onions out of caution

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Yum! Brands is removing fresh onions from some of its Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC locations as government health agencies continue to investigate the source of an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders that has left dozens sick and resulted in one death.

McDonald’s has already yanked onions and Quarter Pounder beef patties from its restaurants in the areas where cases have been reported and has stopped selling the sandwich in several states, the company said Tuesday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the outbreak.

Now, Yum! is following suit after McDonald’s supplier Taylor Farms issued a recall of yellow onions. Taylor Farms did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment on the recall.

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“As we continue to monitor the recently reported E. coli outbreak, and out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively removed fresh onions from select Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants,” a Yum! spokesperson told FOX Business in a statement Thursday. “We will continue following supplier and regulatory guidance to ensure the ongoing safety and quality of our food.”

The statement did not specify in which areas Yum! is removing onions from its restaurants. McDonald’s has pulled Quarter Pounder ingredients from the states of Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

McDonald’s spokespeople said on Wednesday that the CDC had informed the company of the outbreak last week, and the company is working with the agencies involved to determine whether beef or onions — the two ingredients in the sandwich that could be carriers for E. coli — are the cause.

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But if beef is the source, it would mean that multiple McDonald’s restaurants did not cook the patties to the standard 175 degrees required by the chain, given that E. coli is killed at 160 degrees.

McDonald’s is also looking closely at the fresh slivered onions used as a topping, because they are a raw ingredient that came from a single source. However, if the onions are determined to be the cause, it would be the first time onions have been the source of an outbreak of this particular strain of E. coli — E. coli O157:H7.

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The CDC advises that anyone who experiences severe E. coli symptoms such as high fever, diarrhea, vomiting or dehydration after eating a Quarter Pounder should call their health care provider.