McDonald’s invests $100 million to “accelerate recovery and support the most affected franchisees” after a E. coli food poisoning outbreak related to onions on the fast food giant’s Quarter Pounder burgers, the company told CBS News in a statement Saturday.
“A total of $65 million will be invested to support franchisees who have lost business, targeting those in the most affected states,” the company also told CBS News.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Quarter Pounders’ sliced onions were the likely source of the E. coli bacteria. Taylor Farms in California recalled onions potentially linked to the outbreak.
The epidemic of E. coli sickened 104 people in 14 states, federal health officials said in a statement. updated Wednesday.
At least 34 people were hospitalized and four developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious illness that can lead to kidney failure. An 88-year-old man who resided in Grand JunctionColorado, has died, as previously reported. The illnesses began in late September, and the most recent illness occurred on October 21, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The Food and Drug Administration said that “there does not appear to be any ongoing food safety issues related to this outbreak at McDonald’s restaurants.”
However, the outbreak hurt the company’s sales.
Quarter Pounders were removed from menus in several states early in the outbreak.
In a statement obtained by CBS News on Wednesday, McDonald’s said it had found an “alternative supplier” for the approximately 900 restaurants that had temporarily stopped serving Quarter Pounders with sliced onions.
“Over the past week, these restaurants have resumed selling Quarter Pounder hamburgers with chopped onions,” McDonald’s said.
