Introduced in 1971, the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder has been a staple with over 6 million sold every year. They have been one of the most popular items on the McDonald’s menu, after the chocolate shake. Recently, there have been reports of E.coli specifically within the quarter pounders.
E.coli is a bacterial infection caused by contaminated meat and veggies. This can cause major stomach problems and kidney failure. Some cases of E.coli have also lead to death. So far, there have been about 90 cases of E.coli from McDonald’s, 27 hospitalizations, and even one death. This outbreak has been in 13 states with Colorado being the state with the most cases.
McDonald’s has sold roughly 1 million Quarter Pounders since the E.coli outbreak. Two ingredients in particular are the main cause of this sickness. The slivered onions and the Quarter Pounder patties are the main causes. Taylor Farms is one of McDonald’s main corporate suppliers.
Taylor Farms produces the onions for McDonald’s which seems to be the main cause of E.coli found in the burgers, along with the Quarter Pounder patties that they have been using for many years. The hamburger, cheeseburger, Double cheeseburger, McDouble, and Big Mac are made with frozen beef patties, while the Quarter Pounder patties are made with fresh beef.
October 22, 2024 is when the investigation of this virus at McDonald’s started. There was a recall issued to all McDonald’s around the country. With growing amounts of cases and hospitalizations, this situation has gained traction quickly it’s outbreak. McDonald’s income has fallen about 3% since the recall of the quarter pounder.
