McDonald's Quarter Pounders Are Back On The Menu, With One Missing Ingredient

Fans know and love McDonald's for its burgers and treats like McFlurries. Alas, last week, McDonald's made headlines for an E. Coli outbreak that spanned multiple states and led to serious health complications for consumers. As of the most recent update from the CDC, 75 total people across 13 states have been made ill after eating the McDonald's Quarter Pounder, including 22 hospitalizations and one death.

Public health officials are actively working to identify one contaminated ingredient as the specific source of the outbreak. In these early days of the investigation, the Quarter Pounder's raw slivered onions and beef patties (which are unique to this burger alone) have been regarded as the top two contenders. McDonald's stores in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, and portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma temporarily stopped serving Quarter Pounders altogether.

The investigation remains ongoing, but according to a new report by the Colorado Department of Agriculture on October 27, McDonald's Quarter Pounder fresh beef patties have been ruled out as a potential culprit. Dozens of samples were collected from locations across multiple states, and all tests for E. Coli were negative. In an official press release from Sunday, McDonald's announced that the burger will be returning to store menus within the week, with two significant changes: Beef suppliers must provide stores in previously-affected areas with an entirely new beef stock, and there won't be any onions (for now).

"We will resume distribution of that fresh [beef] supply and the Quarter Pounder is expected to be available in all restaurants in the coming week," McDonald's North America Chief Supply Chain Officer Cesar Piña explained in the press release. "This will be on a rolling basis based on delivery and resupply operations." The 900 restaurants that used to receive slivered onions from Taylor Farms' compromised Colorado facility will also temporarily serve their Quarter Pounders without onions while the investigation continues. Most of the reported illnesses occurred in Colorado.

Taylor Farms has since issued a voluntary recall of its onions, which are still being studied as a potential culprit. Several days ago, fast food competitors Burger King, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC pulled onions from their menus in affected states as a cautionary measure. It looks like things are slowly going back to normal for Mickey D's. Per a CDC vote of confidence, "Due to the product actions taken by both companies [McDonald's and Taylor Farms], CDC believes the risk to the public is very low." Although, public health officials still have yet to identify which specific ingredient is responsible for the contamination, and whether that ingredient was sent to other restaurant locations or fast food store brands. The chain's goal moving forward, says Piña, will be "managing this situation and earning our customers' trust."