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In the wake of the troubling E. coli outbreak, major fast-food chains are springing into action to safeguard their customers, and Burger King (QSR-1.48%) is up next.
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McDonald’s is facing its first lawsuit from the Quarter Pounder E. coli outbreak
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The Whopper maker has swiftly instructed 5% of its locations to toss any onions it’s received from the Taylor Farms facility in Colorado. The chain is already in the “process of restocking them from other facilities,” a company spokesperson told Quartz.
“We have reviewed our restaurant supply given recent announcements,” the spokesperson added. “There is no crossover with McDonald’s for the vast majority of our onion facilities.”
So far, Burger King has reported no illnesses linked to its onions and says it has not heard from health officials.
The decision follows a strong advisory from U.S. Foods (USFD+0.46%), urging restaurants to stop using onions from Taylor Farms and to “DESTROY THE PRODUCT.” Sysco (SYY-0.40%), another major distributor, has echoed this guidance, putting the fast-food industry on high alert.
Meanwhile, McDonald’s has removed its beloved Quarter Pounders from 20% of its of more than 14,000 U.S. restaurants following a CDC report linking the outbreak to its burgers. Thus far, 49 cases have been reported across 10 states, including 10 hospitalizations and one death. Many affected diners say they have fallen ill after eating a Quarter Pounder. A man in Colorado has already sued McDonald’s. Wall Street is also worried about the outbreak and has downgraded the chain’s stock rating, predicting a serious decline in sales in the months ahead.
In response, McDonald’s has halted the use of some fresh sliced onions and the specific beef patties used in the Quarter Pounder while the investigation unfolds.
Additionally, Yum! Brands (YUM+0.38%), the parent company of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC, has removed fresh onions from select locations as a precaution, though it did not disclose which restaurants would no longer serve the vegetable.
