US health authorities confirmed – yesterday, Wednesday – that sliced onions used by the McDonald’s restaurant chain likely caused cases of poisoning with Escherichia coli bacteria that infected 90 people.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explained that “cut onions are the likely source of poisoning.”
The fast food chain buys onions from Taylor Farms, which launched a voluntary recall of this product. McDonald’s also confirmed that it has stopped selling burger slices in which these onions are used.
The number of injured people to date has reached 90, 27 of whom required hospitalization. The number of deaths is still limited to one person, an elderly man from Colorado.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that “all of the new infections appeared before the measures taken by Taylor Farms and McDonald’s.”
She considered that “the risk to the public” is now “very low.”
Over the weekend, McDonald’s indicated that it had received test results that did not show any presence of Escherichia coli bacteria in the ground meat.
This crisis extended to include a total of 13 American states.
Escherichia coli bacteria cause stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting, and their symptoms usually last 3 to 4 days. Most people with it recover without treatment, but some may suffer complications.