Ten people have been hospitalized and one older person in Colorado has died after E. coli infections linked to McDonald’s Corp.’s Quarter Pounder hamburger in 10 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said on Tuesday.
Shares of the company were down about 6 per cent after the bell.
Everyone interviewed has reported eating at McDonald’s before their illness started, and most specifically mentioned eating a Quarter Pounder hamburger, according to the CDC.
The specific ingredient linked to the illness has not yet been identified but investigators are focused on fresh, slivered onions and fresh beef patties, the CDC said.
Forty nine people from 10 states have fallen sick from the same strain of E. coli, the CDC said. Most sick people are from Colorado or Nebraska.
“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,” McDonald’s North America chief supply chain officer Cesar Piña said in a statement.
McDonald’s has proactively removed the slivered onions and beef patties used for the Quarter Pounder hamburgers from stores in the affected states while the investigation continues, the company informed the CDC.
The company is temporarily removing the Quarter Pounder from restaurants in the impacted area, including Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, it said in a statement, adding it was working with suppliers to replenish supply in the coming week.
Symptoms for E. coli include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting.
In 2015, burrito chain Chipotle saw its sales battered and reputation hit due to E.coli outbreaks in several states.
