The company said on Sunday that it had suspended the onion supplier in question – a Taylor Farms facility in Colorado Springs – indefinitely.
The 900 stores that received slivered onions from the supplier will sell their Quarter Pounders without the onions.
“The issue appears to be contained to a particular ingredient and geography, and we remain very confident that any contaminated product related to this outbreak has been removed from our supply chain,” McDonald’s said in a statement.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised those who consumed a Quarter Pounder and developed symptoms of E. coli poisoning – diarrhoea, bloody diarrhoea, a fever over 38.9 degrees Celsius, and vomiting – to seek medical attention.
Symptoms typically begin three to four days after exposure, and most individuals recover within five to seven days without treatment. However, some cases can become severe and require hospitalization.
Several alleged victims have sued McDonald’s.
