People across the country are getting sick after eating Quarter Pounders from McDonald's, according to the Washington Post.
What's happening?
E. coli bacteria made at least 49 people sick, and most of them reported eating Quarter Pounders before they became ill. Many of the sick people hailed from Colorado, Nebraska, Utah, and Wyoming, though illness was reported as far west as Oregon and as far east as Wisconsin.
McDonald's believed that slivered onions were the culprit, though the FDA was still working to confirm this. Meanwhile, they stopped using the onions and stopped serving Quarter Pounders in the areas hit the hardest, per the Post.
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McDonald's chief supply chain officer in North America, Cesar Piña, said in an email, "The initial findings from the investigation indicate that a subset of illnesses may be linked to slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounder and sourced by a single supplier that serves three distribution centers."
Why is this outbreak important?
E. coli is a dangerous bacterium. This outbreak has already killed at least one older adult with other underlying medical issues in Colorado. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, E. coli can be harmless, but it can also cause everything from diarrhea and stomach upset to pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and sepsis.
In addition to that, FoodPrint explains that recalls like the one McDonald's is practicing now can be devastating for the environment. Contaminated food has to end up somewhere, and that's often in landfills. Food is the "single largest component of U.S. landfills," making up 22% of trash, and as it decomposes, it produces tons of toxic gases that contribute to rising global temperatures.
Not only that, but all of the water, energy, and labor that went into producing the contaminated food is now wasted, too.
What's being done about this outbreak?
As mentioned, McDonald's is working with authorities to contain the outbreak and figure out exactly which of its products are causing problems.
If you don't feel safe because of recent food recalls, join with others who have learned to grow much of their own food. Your diet will be healthier, and you might even live longer. Meanwhile, if you live in the affected areas and you've had a Quarter Pounder lately, be on the lookout for symptoms of E. coli.
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