Taylor Farms has been confirmed as the supplier of the onions used on McDonald's Quarter Pounders, which are the most probable vehicle of illness in the Escherichia coli outbreak that has sickened dozens of people and caused one death.
As of October 24, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has reported 75 cases of illness, 22 hospitalizations, and one death caused by the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 in 13 Western/Midwestern U.S. states. Although FDA has not yet confirmed that the slivered onions used on these sandwiches are the definite cause of the outbreak, traceback investigations suggest that these onions, sourced from a single supplier that serves three distribution centers, are the vehicle of illness. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) is still investigating the hamburger patties used in the Quarter Pounders to rule out the meat as the source of the outbreak.