McDonald’s has been the center of media attention this week after President Donald Trump did a brief shift at a franchise that generated many iconic moments and hundreds of liberal head explosions.
Now, suddenly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders in multiple states.
It’s not yet known which ingredient in the hamburgers is making people sick. Slivered onions and quarter-pound beef patties, both of which are specifically used for Quarter Pounders, are being looked at.At least 49 people in 10 states have been sickened. One person, an older adult in Colorado, has died.Ten people have been hospitalized, including a child who developed a kidney disease called hemolytic uremic syndrome.McDonald’s is working with public health officials, according to the CDC. The fast-food chain has stopped using the slivered onions and quarter-pound beef patties in several states, the CDC said.
Interestingly, the focus is on the slivered onions.
McDonald’s has stopped using the onions as well as quarter-pound beef patties in several states while the investigation continues, the CDC says. According to the agency, the beef patties are used only for the Quarter Pounders, and the slivered onions are used primarily for the Quarter Pounder and not other items.McDonald’s said in a statement that the initial investigation findings linked the onions to “a single supplier that serves three distribution centers.”“We are working in close partnership with our suppliers to replenish supply for the Quarter Pounder in the coming weeks (timing will vary by local market),” it said. “In the meantime, all other menu items, including other beef products (including the Cheeseburger, Hamburger, Big Mac, McDouble and the Double Cheeseburger) are unaffected and available.”
The CDC indicates that the investigation is “fast-moving”. I just bet it is.
Meanwhile, McDonald’s stock prices took a hit.
Happily, the plunge was not deep and the decline ended up being slight at the end of the day.
The symptoms of E. coli are quite unpleasant, but the vast majority of people recover without treatment.
The CDC warns that symptoms of severe E. coli include diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°. Other symptoms include “so much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down” and signs of dehydration like not urinating much, dry mouth or a dry throat.Symptoms usually start three to four days after eating a contaminated product, the organization notes. Most people recover without treatment after five days to a week.
Hopefully, the situation will be resolved, the burgers and fries will flow, and the ice cream machines be fixed.
However, some are suspicious of the timing.
Additionally, I find the development disturbing in light of the listeria outbreak Boar’s Head and ready-to-eat meat products.
What exactly has been happening in this country, that we are experiencing food contamination on this scale now?
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