McDonald's stops getting onions from farm linked to E. coli outbreak in US

By Jonathan Roeder

McDonald’s Corp. has stopped sourcing onions from the Colorado facility operated by Taylor Farms that has become the focus of an investigation into an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 75 people and caused one death.

“Due to broad concern and our unwavering commitment to food safety we have made the decision to stop sourcing onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility indefinitely,” the company said on its website.

Credit: Bloomberg

The burger chain said it stopped serving slivered onions from the facility on Oct. 22, as the Food and Drug Administration conducts an investigation. It added that slivered onions from that site had been distributed to about 900 restaurants in Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and “portions of other states in the area.”

“A select number of restaurants were in transportation hubs, such as airports, which may account for illnesses in additional states,” McDonald’s said.

Earlier Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the number of E. coli cases detected had risen to 75 people in 13 states, up from 49 in 10 states on Tuesday. The CDC said it believes the risk to the public is “very low,” citing actions taken by McDonald’s and Taylor Farms.

McDonald’s shares fell 3 per cent on Friday. The stock has slumped 7 per cent since news of the outbreak was made public earlier this week.