McDonald’s is investing $100 million to bring customers back to stores after an E. coli food poisoning outbreak linked to onions in the fast food giant’s Quarter Pounder hamburger.
The company said the investments include $65 million that will go directly to the most affected franchises.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that sliced onions found on a Quarter Pounder are the likely source of E. coli bacteria. Taylor Farms in California recalled onions potentially linked to the outbreak.
Colorado has reported at least 30 cases; Montana reported 19 cases; Nebraska, 13; and New Mexico, 10. Illnesses were reported between September 12 and October 21. At least 104 people became ill and 34 were hospitalized, according to federal health officials. One person has died in Colorado and four people have developed potentially life-threatening complications of kidney disease.
“There do not appear to be ongoing food safety concerns related to this outbreak at McDonald’s restaurants,” the FDA said.
But the outbreak hurt the company’s sales.
The Quarter Pounder was removed from menus in several states in the early days of the outbreak. McDonald’s has identified a replacement supplier for 900 restaurants that have temporarily stopped serving burgers with onions. Over the past week, McDonald’s has resumed selling its Quarter Pounder with sliced onions across the country.
