A supplier of onions for fast food chain McDonald's has issued a recall of numerous batches of diced and peeled yellow onions.
US Foods initiated the recall after McDonald's removed Quarter Pounder sandwiches after dozens of illnesses were reported among McDonald's customers. Fifty people became ill with E. coli after consuming McDonald's Quarter Pounders, the company said. One of the illnesses resulted in a death.
Officials with McDonald's confirmed Thursday the onions could be the source of the E. coli outbreak.
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The onions are branded as 30-pound cases of Taylor Farms yellow jumbo peeled onions, 5-pound cases of Taylor Farms yellow diced onions, six 5-pound cases of Taylor Farms yellow whole peeled onions and four 5-pound cases of Cross Valley Farms yellow diced ⅜ inch yellow diced onions. A full list of batch codes is available online.
"It is urgent that you stop using affected product as soon as possible," US Foods said in a notice to suppliers.
US Foods also said that suppliers should destroy the product and record the number of cases destroyed.
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Other McDonald's products, including the Big Mac and McDouble, are not affected, the company said. The illnesses have been reported in Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Quarter Pounders contain raw sliced onions, while the Big Mac has cooked minced onions. Health officials say cooking onions to 160 degrees eliminates contamination.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said E. coli symptoms typically appear three to four days after consumption. The symptoms typically last up to a week. The symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting, the CDC added.
