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FDA Unable to Implicate Grower in E. coli Outbreak Linked to Taylor Farms Onions Served at McDonald's

By Bailee Henderson

whole yellow onions on burlap — Image credit: Racool_studio via Freepik

Regarding the ongoing investigation of the Escherichia coli outbreak linked to onions served at certain McDonald’s locations, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently shared that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is unable to implicate a grower at this time.

Although a Taylor Farms facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado was confirmed as the supplier of the onions to McDonald’s, and FDA was investigating an onion grower of interest in Washington state, FDA has been unable to definitively implicate a grower.

According to the latest information from CDC, 90 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported from 13 states in the U.S. West and Midwest. Of 83 people with information available, 27 have been hospitalized, two people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and one person has died (not one of the patients who developed HUS).

Taylor Farms has recalled the implicated onions and McDonald’s—as well as other restaurant chains supplied by Taylor Farms—removed fresh onions from their menus at affected locations.

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Bailee Henderson is the Director of Content Strategy for Food Safety Magazine. In the day-to-day, she covers industry-relevant current events, regulatory affairs, and scientific developments. She also produces the Food Safety Five Newsreel and edits the twice-weekly Food Safety Digest newsletter. Notably, Bailee's coverage for Food Safety Magazine has been featured in national televised news segments including CBS Sunday Morning and MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show. She can be reached at hendersonb@bnpmedia.com.