FDA Cites Dirty Equipment, Poor Sanitation at McDonald’s Onion Supplier After E. Coli Scare

A caller study from the Food and Drug Administration reveals dozens of nutrient information violations astatine the McDonald’s bulb supplier linked to a nationwide outbreak of E. coli that sickened implicit a 100 people.

CBS News obtained the report via a Freedom of Information Act request, which details the FDA’s caller inspection of a nutrient accumulation installation successful Colorado tally by Taylor Farms. It describes galore nutrient information concerns astatine the facility, specified arsenic a deficiency of due contamination power and soiled equipment. The McDonald’s E. coli outbreak was traced backmost to contaminated onions produced by Taylor Farms, peculiarly the slivered onions exclusively utilized connected Quarter Pounder burgers.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first reported the outbreak successful precocious October. Ultimately, astatine slightest 104 cases crossed 14 states were documented, which led to 34 hospitalizations and 1 death. Though immoderate different accelerated nutrient chains temporarily pulled their ain bulb products retired of caution, the outbreak was solely linked to caller slivered onions supplied by the institution Taylor Farms. Taylor Farms went connected to contented a ample callback of its different bulb products, though nary further cases extracurricular of McDonald’s appeared to person occurred.

After switching to a antithetic bulb supplier, McDonald’s soon returned the Quarter Pounder and slivered onions to its menu. By aboriginal December, authorities wellness officials declared the outbreak over. But the FDA’s study points to glaring problems astatine Taylor Farms that mightiness person allowed the outbreak to look successful the archetypal place.

The FDA’s inspections took spot betwixt October 28 and November 12, 2024. Though immoderate of the study is redacted, the intact portions item respective nutrient information violations astatine Taylor Farms’ Colorado facility. FDA inspectors discovered “numerous instrumentality with evident biofilm and ample amounts of nutrient debris,” for instance. Inspectors besides recovered areas wherever “recontamination of biology pathogens could occur” arsenic good arsenic accumulation rooms kept astatine temperatures that could let germs to grow, specified arsenic the bacteria Listeria. In 1 peculiar instance, inspectors recovered pooling h2o successful an country that had earlier successful the twelvemonth tested affirmative for Listeria. Workers besides seemingly lone sometimes utilized manus sanitizers erstwhile handling “ready-to-eat” foods, and respective cutting boards utilized to chop “ready-to-eat” lettuce and celery were recovered to beryllium “severely discolored” and filled with heavy cracks and crevices.

In a connection to CBS News, Taylor Farms said the study did not effect successful “administrative oregon regulatory action” taken against the company, and that it has taken steps to remedy the issues found. “Taylor Farms is assured successful our best-in-class nutrient information processes, and successful turn, the prime and information of our products. As is communal pursuing an inspection, FDA issued observations of conditions that could beryllium improved astatine 1 of our facilities,” Taylor Farms told CBS News.

By some measures, nutrient information has ne'er been amended successful the U.S. Annually reported foodborne illnesses are down from a decennary ago, for instance, though these lone seizure a tiny percent of full cases. At the aforesaid time, the incidence of communal germs specified as Listeria and Salmonella hasn’t changed successful caller years, portion the incidence has accrued for different diseases similar Campylobacter and Cyclospora. And overall, the U.S. is not connected way to scope the little rates of foodborne illness acceptable arsenic a extremity by the national authorities for 2030.

The McDonald’s E. coli outbreak was substantially little unsafe than the infamous Jack-in-the-Box E. coli outbreak that occurred successful the aboriginal 1990s, which sickened implicit 700 radical and killed 4 people. But it highlights the world that today’s nutrient proviso inactive isn’t escaped of its issues.