A recent Escherichia coli (E. coli) outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder has raised concerns about food safety.
According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the famous burger led to the E coli infection of 49 people across ten states in the U.S. and one death as of Oct. 23, 2024.
The burger is now temporarily removed from Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, and parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. According to the CDC, most illnesses are in Colorado and Nebraska.
The reported number of those infected differs from the reality. It can take up to three to four weeks to determine if the sickness is caused by the burger, causing regular customers like Rhianna Barbe, a junior at Carlmont, to be suspicious about what is in her food.
“It’s a good thing that the burgers got removed if they can’t make it safe. Fast food shouldn’t be your primary option. It’s best to eat food at home because you know what is going in it,” Barbe said.
Regarding investigating the ingredients causing this outbreak, Mcdonald’s has stopped using slivered onions and quarter-pound beef patties. However, all other beef products on the menu are unaffected and still available.
*This is a breaking news story. The article will be updated with more information.