Always Putting Food Safety First
October 29, 2024
The health and safety of our people and customers is our top priority at McDonald's. Please see this page for the latest updates on this matter.
UPDATE: October 29, 2024
On Monday afternoon, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued the following statement regarding their investigation into to the E. coli outbreak, indicating that beef is not the source.
Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state partners collect and evaluate epidemiologic, laboratory, environmental assessment, and traceback information to determine if there is a link between an FSIS-regulated product and human illnesses. FSIS has conducted a thorough investigation in response to this outbreak, including traceback of beef patties served on Quarter Pounders at McDonald’s, and evidence does not point to ground beef as the likely source of contamination. FSIS used specific meal information reported by ill people to trace beef patties through the supply chain to the establishment where they were produced and did not identify a beef source. Testing on beef patties by the Colorado Department of Agriculture is complete and all samples were found to be negative for E. coli. FSIS will continue to work closely with federal and state partners to monitor the outbreak.
UPDATE: October 27, 2024
McDonald's North America Chief Supply Chain Officer Cesar Piña shared the following internal message.
Dear McDonald’s USA,
Our commitment to food safety isn’t the responsibility of any one person, team, department, or leg of the stool.
Our commitment to food safety is everyone’s primary responsibility, and this week we’ve been reminded why.
First, I want to thank once again the health authorities with whom we’ve been partnering. They can count on McDonald’s continued close partnership in their vital work, now and well into the future.
As someone who has worked in food safety for two decades, it has been meaningful to see the strong partnership between McDonald’s and public health officials, including CDC, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Department of Agriculture, USDA, FSIS, and FDA.
It was especially important to all of us—across the entire System—when CDC noted that our proactive steps resulted in the risk to the public being “very low.”
This was also a reminder of how our values must guide us every single day: we put people first, and we do the right thing.
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 and is out of all McDonald’s restaurants.
That said, health officials have noted that with increased awareness, more people will seek medical attention and case counts will grow. This awareness is a good thing, as it can lead to people being vigilant and connecting with medical professionals.
As the CDC has shared, symptoms usually start 3 to 4 days after consuming contaminated food, and most people recover without treatment after 5 to 7 days. That said, it can take 3-4 weeks for public health agencies to confirm if an ill person is part of the outbreak.
We understand these slivered onions from this facility were distributed well beyond McDonald’s System to other quick service restaurants and food service providers.
We are committed to making this right for any customers who have eaten at McDonald’s and suffered an illness as a result of the outbreak.
As Joe shared last week, we will continue to be guided by our principles while managing this situation and earning our customers’ trust:
Continue to do the right thing
Partner closely with health authorities and let science lead our decision making
Take swift and decisive action
Deploy the full breadth of our resources
Continue to communicate quickly and transparently
With that, there are a few important updates that we’d like to share.
Over the weekend, McDonald’s was informed that the Colorado Department of Agriculture has completed their testing, the results of which confirm that there was no detection of E. coli in the samples taken of Quarter Pounder beef patties from restaurants in this area. We’ve been informed there is no further testing planned for beef patties.
Overlaying the CDC's Epidemiological data with our Supply Chain traceback data, we have ruled out Quarter Pounder patties as the source.
Last week, out of an abundance of caution, we stopped distributing Quarter Pounder beef patties to the impacted area. Based on the above information, we are now confident in asking our beef suppliers to produce a new supply of fresh beef patties for the impacted areas. We will resume distribution of that fresh supply and the Quarter Pounder is expected to be available in all restaurants in the coming week. This will be on a rolling basis based on delivery and resupply operations.
The 900 restaurants that historically received slivered onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility will resume sales of Quarter Pounders without slivered onions. Those restaurants are in Colorado, Kansas, and Wyoming, as well as portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Utah.
The FDA is continuing its investigation into Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility. As a reminder, McDonald’s removed slivered onions from this facility from our supply chain on October 22 and shared that we had decided to stop sourcing onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility indefinitely. Over the past few days, you’ve likely seen that additional food service providers and restaurant brands that received onions from this facility have moved to stop selling and/or recall onions.
I want to thank all of you for your support, for your efforts to promote public health, and for upholding our core values.
Cesar Piña
SVP, Chief Supply Chain Officer, North America
Please see below for an additional video update from Joe.
Please see here for relevant resources:
UPDATE: October 25, 2024
Statement from McDonald’s USA regarding recall of onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado facility:
We understand from our ongoing partnership with health authorities that onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility have been a source of focus in an ongoing investigation related to E. coli O157:H7. As noted by FDA on October 22, 2024, slivered onions from Taylor Farms’ facility in Colorado Springs are the “likely source of contamination.” In its update today (October 25, 2024), FDA notes that yellow onions were sold by this supplier and from this facility to additional food service customers.
McDonald’s stopped selling this product as of October 22, 2024, and we understand FDA is continuing its investigation into that facility. Prior to this action, slivered onions from this facility were distributed to approximately 900 McDonald’s restaurants, in Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, and portions of other states in the area. A select number of restaurants were in transportation hubs, such as airports, which may account for illnesses in additional states. Nothing is more important to us than the quality and safety of our food, which is why McDonald’s took swift and decisive action to protect the health of our customers.
We also understand that onions were distributed by this supplier, from this facility, well beyond McDonald’s System (including other quick service restaurants and food service providers). In the past 24 hours, many appear to have followed McDonald’s lead in not serving onions from this facility. We fully expect others in our industry will also follow the imperative to be transparent in service of public health, and we expect health authorities will continue to provide updates.
While McDonald’s removed all slivered onions produced from this facility as of October 22, 2024, due to broad concern and our unwavering commitment to food safety we have made the decision to stop sourcing onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility indefinitely.
As a reminder, all other menu items, including other beef products (including the Cheeseburger, Hamburger, Big Mac, McDouble, and the Double Cheeseburger) are unaffected and available.
At McDonald’s, food safety is something we will never compromise on. Customers can count on McDonald’s to do the right thing, and public health authorities can count on McDonald’s continued close partnership. We thank health authorities for all they are doing.
UPDATE: October 23, 2024
McDonalds maintains strict food safety standards and protocols and take our approach to food safety management extremely seriously. For an overview on McDonald’s restaurant food safety protocols, click here.
UPDATE: October 22, 2024
McDonald's North America Chief Supply Chain Officer Cesar Piña shared the following internal message.
Across the McDonald’s System, serving customers safely in every single restaurant, each and every day, is our top priority and something we’ll never compromise on.
It is why we are taking swift and decisive action following an E. Coli outbreak in certain states. 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. As a result, and in line with our safety protocols, all local restaurants have been instructed to remove this product from their supply and we have paused the distribution of all slivered onions in the impacted area.
Out of an abundance of caution, we are also temporarily removing the Quarter Pounder from restaurants in the impacted area, including Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. We take food safety extremely seriously and it’s the right thing to do. Impacted restaurants are receiving a stock recovery notice today and should reach out to their field supply chain manager or distribution center with any questions.
We are working in close partnership with our suppliers to replenish supply for the Quarter Pounder in the coming weeks (timing will vary by local market). 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.
Please see below for a brief video message from Joe on this topic.
I want to thank all of you for your support as we continue to prioritize safety in our restaurants.
Thank you,
Cesar Piña
SVP, Chief Supply Chain Officer, North America