McDonald’s E. coli case count rises as federal officials inspect an onion grower
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $205*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/10/2024 (702 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal officials on Wednesday reported more cases of E. coli poisoning among people who ate at McDonald’s, as government investigators seeking the outbreak’s source identified an “onion grower of interest” in Washington state.
The Food and Drug Administration said 90 people across 13 states have fallen ill in the outbreak, up from 75 at the end of last week. The number of people hospitalized increased by five, to 27 people. One death has been tied to the outbreak.
Officials have said raw, slivered onions on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers are the likely source of the E. coli. McDonald’s said the onions came from a single supplier, the California-based Taylor Farms. The company has since recalled the yellow onions it sent to McDonald’s and other restaurant chains.
The FDA said Wednesday it has begun inspecting Taylor Farm’s processing center in Colorado Springs as well as an “onion grower of interest” in Washington state. It did not name the grower.
More than 80% of people with E. coli interviewed by government investigators reported eating McDonald’s items containing fresh, slivered onions, the FDA noted.
McDonald’s said last week that onions from the Colorado Springs facility were distributed to approximately 900 of its restaurants, including some in transportation hubs like airports. The restaurant chain announced that it would resume serving Quarter Pounders at hundreds of its restaurants after testing ruled out beef patties as the source of the outbreak.
The strain of E. coli behind the outbreak can cause dangerous diarrhea and lead to kidney failure and other serious problems. It causes about 74,000 infections in the U.S. annually, leading to more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
FDA officials said Wednesday the current risk of illness “is low because the onions have been recalled and should no longer be available.” They noted that all of the reported cases occurred before Taylor Farms and McDonald’s removed the onions from the market.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
