Major fast-food chains in the US were pulling fresh onions out of their menu items after the root vegetable was named as the potential source of the recent E. coli outbreak in the country.
Burger King’s parent Restaurant Brands International, Yum Brands and other fast-food chains have removed fresh onions from menu items, reported Reuters.
Last week, an E. coli outbreak in the US was linked to McDonald’s, which killed at least one person, leaving up to 75 sick, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The US Department of Agriculture announced that fresh onions were the likely source of the outbreak.
The fast-food chain has stopped the use of fresh slivered onions and quarter-pound beef patties, which are used only on its Quarter Pounders, to help identify the contaminant.
The US FDA confirmed that Taylor Farms was the supplier of the sliced onions for the affected McDonald’s locations and that the company has initiated a voluntary recall.
US FDA spokesperson told Reuters: “Yellow onions were sold to additional food service customers. Customers who received recalled onions have been directly notified of the recall.
McDonald’s spokesperson said: “Sysco has communicated to customers and a limited number of our sites instructions regarding the supplier-initiated recall of yellow onions.”
Burger King on-duty manager Maria Gonzales said: “We’ve been told by corporate to not use any onions going forward for the foreseeable future. They’re off our menu.”
The US regulators are still investigating whether McDonald’s beef patties could be affected, but E. coli is killed in beef when cooked properly.
In the wake of the outbreak, McDonald’s has recalled the Quarter Pounder from about one-fifth of its restaurants in the US, including in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, and Wyoming.
The company also stopped serving the Quarter Pounder partly in Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
According to a BBC report, McDonald’s is resuming sales of its Quarter Pounder burgers in all of its restaurants in the US, after ruling out its beef patties.
McDonald’s said that samples of its beef patties taken by the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) had tested negative for the bacteria.
McDonald’s North America chief supply chain officer Cesar Piña said: “The issue appears to be contained to a particular ingredient and geography, and we remain very confident that any contaminated product related to this outbreak has been removed from our supply chain.”
