McDonald’s announced Tuesday that the FDA and CDC have closed their investigation into the E. coli outbreak connected to slivered onions on Quarter Pounders.
At least 104 people were infected in 14 states, from September 12 to October 21. Of the 98 patients with information available, 34 were hospitalized, four people developed a condition that can cause kidney failure, and one older adult died in Colorado. The CDC noted that the true number of sick people was likely much higher since many recovered without medical care or weren’t tested.
On October 22, McDonald’s removed slivered onions from impacted restaurants. It also paused distribution of slivered onions for 900 restaurants in the impacted area, and then, out of an abundance of caution, temporarily stopped selling Quarter Pounders. On October 27, the chain identified an alternate onion supplier and resumed normal operations and sales of the Quarter Pounder in these locations. That same day, the Colorado Department of Agriculture completed testing on samples of beef and found no traces of E. coli.
The fast-food giant traced the incident to slivered onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility. The brand decided to stop sourcing onions from this factory indefinitely.
On November 13, CDC said the risk to public health had remained “very low” for three weeks. A day later, the FDA confirmed there was no food safety concern at McDonald’s restaurants related to the outbreak. The CDC also confirmed there were no new illnesses associated with consumers eating at McDonald’s following the company’s action on October 22.
“The process to reach this point has at times felt long, challenging and uncertain,” McDonald’s said in a statement. “But it is critical that public officials examine every possible angle, and we are deeply grateful that they moved quickly to identify and, in partnership with McDonald’s, contain the issue. We’d like to thank them once again.”
McDonald’s sales and traffic were meaningfully impacted by the outbreak. Traffic fell 6.4 percent on October 23 year-over-year, followed by negative 9.1 percent on October 24 and negative 9.5 percent on October 25, according to Placer.ai. In Colorado, the most impacted state, traffic dropped 23.5 percent, 30.8 percent, and 32.6 percent on October 23, 24, and 25, respectively.
In response, the chain is spending more than $100 million to help affected franchisees. Around $65 million will be invested in supporting operators who lost business, and $35 million will be put toward marketing.
Additionally, McDonald’s unveiled McValue, a new value platform scheduled to debut in January. The menu will feature meal deals, in-app offers, local food and drink specials, and a new Buy One, Add One for $1 offer at breakfast and lunch/dinner. All of it will be housed in one place on the menu, making it easier for guests to find value. The $5 Meal Deal was also extended through next summer.
The company should also feel a boost from the McRib, which returned to the menu on Tuesday.
