It’s the biggest fast food chain in the world. But that won’t keep it safe from a microscopic threat.
In the United States, federal investigators are tracking a dangerous E. coli outbreak. The bacteria put 10 people in the hospital. At least one person died. Most cases were in Colorado and Nebraska. Investigators have linked the outbreak to a source: the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. The restaurant chain has now pulled the classic burger from a fifth of its U.S. stores.
That’s no small hit for McDonald’s. The chain has 14,000 stores in the affected area, which covers parts of the Midwest and some Western states. Those restaurants serve a million Quarter Pounders every two weeks.
E. coli (short for Escherichia coli) bacteria come from many places: water, food, and the intestines of people and animals. Many types of E. coli are actually harmless. A handful cause serious illness. The McDonald’s outbreak came from E. coli O156:H7. If consumed, this type of E. coli creates a toxin. The toxin can causes fevers, kidney failure, and other serious problems.
In the United States, about 74,000 infections from this type of E. coli occur every year. Those infections lead to an average of 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths annually.
Health officials take E. coli seriously. Another restaurant chain, Chipotle, paid a $25 million fine after more than 1,100 customers became sick in 2020.
“The worst thing you can have at a restaurant is a food safety problem,” says restaurant consultant Aaron Allen. “It’s the equivalent of an airline losing the plane.”
McDonald’s officials say the bacteria likely didn’t come from their beef. The restaurants receive beef from multiple suppliers and cook it at a temperature that kills E. coli. Instead, official blame the onions. Onions in all the affected restaurants come from a single supplier. They’re also served raw—no hot temps to kill the germs.
But this onion supplier regularly checks for E. coli. And McDonald’s follows strict food safety guidelines and protocols. Chris Gaulke, a professor of food and beverage management, gives the restaurants credit for that. “Given the volume of food that they go through, how infrequently this happens to McDonald’s is a testament to the effort that they take,” he says.
Still, some experts think McDonald’s hasn’t gone far enough. They say the restaurant should close entire stores—not just stop selling one sandwich.
“Good practice would have been to close all the restaurants,” says lawyer Bill Marler. “Until we know definitively what the product was that made people sick, consumers should be aware.”
Even global restaurant chains can’t prevent every accident. But wise preparation can help. Experts say the McDonald’s safety protocols equip the chain to handle E. coli better than other restaurants.
Officials continue to investigate the outbreak. For now, maybe order a McChicken instead—and pass on the onions.
