A California-based produce company was the source of fresh onions linked to a deadly E. coli food poisoning outbreak at McDonald’s, officials with the restaurant chain said on Thursday.
US Foods, a major wholesaler to restaurants across the country, said on Thursday that Taylor Farms had issued a recall this week for peeled whole and diced yellow onions for potential E. coli contamination.Investigators said they were focused on slivered onions as a potential source of the infections. But the wholesaler also noted that it wasn’t a McDonald’s supplier and that its recall didn’t include any products sold at the fast-food chain’s restaurants.
Burger King restaurants get deliveries of whole, fresh onions and its employees wash, peel and slice them. Illnesses were confirmed between September 27 and October 11, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.It causes about 74,000 infections in the US annually, leading to more than 2000 hospitalisations and 61 deaths each year, according to CDC.In a lawsuit filed this week, Eric Stelly said he ate food from local McDonald’s on October 4 and fell ill two days later.Symptoms occur of E. coli poisoning can occur quickly, within a day or two of eating contaminated food.