E. Coli has seen a recent breakout, spreading throughout ten states, and McDonald’s has been found as the cause. Specifically their popular menu item, the Quarter Pounder, and the onions on the burger. According to studies published by the CDC, “Preliminary traceback and distribution information reviewed by FDA shows that slivered onions served on Quarter Pounders are a likely source of contamination” (CDC, Oct. 22).

As of October 24, there’s been a reported 75 cases with one death reported, and it’s spread throughout 10 states, mostly in the mountain region states like Colorado and Utah but also spreading to Iowa and Wisconsin. There could be more unreported cases out there though, as it takes time to figure out if a person with E. Coli is connected to this outbreak.

McDonald’s have released a statement about the recent outbreak, saying that it’s linked to the onions, and that in the states that have been affected by this they’ve removed the Quarter Pounder from the menus for the time being, but are keeping everything else available. In the statement McDonald’s released, they stated, “In the meantime, all other menu items, including other beef products (including the Cheeseburger, Hamburger, Big Mac, McDouble and the Double Cheeseburger) are unaffected and available. We will continue to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and are committed to providing timely updates as we restore our full menu” (Piña, Oct. 22).

The company McDonald’s gets their onions from have removed their onions from the market out of caution. McDonald’s stock has fallen 5% since the outbreak was first reported, and their president has come out and said that their food is safe to eat, and to not let the current outbreak stop you from eating there, but it is up to the consumer to make that decision.