(NewsNation) — McDonald’s said Wednesday it is taking the necessary action to protect customers after the restaurant’s Quarter Pounder burgers were linked to an E. coli outbreak.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the outbreak sickened at least 49 people in 10 states. One person died, and 10 were hospitalized, according to the CDC.
Now, McDonald’s says it is searching for a new regional supplier for fresh onions, as the company suspects the slivered ones used in the Quarter Pounder are the reason behind the illnesses. The sandwich itself will also be temporarily available in some states.
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McDonald’s says this is the first time onions have been tied to the E. coli bacteria. Still, in early trading Wednesday morning, McDonald’s stock dropped about 6%.
Confidence in US food safety lessens
Confidence in America’s food regulation could be dwindling after a series of product recalls and contaminations.
On Tuesday, Treehouse Foods, which distributes its products to major grocery retailers like Kroger, Walmart and Target, issued an expanded recall on frozen pancake and waffle mixes. Last week, Costco had to recall several meat-based products due to listeria concerns.
And over the summer, Boar’s Head issued the largest recall in a decade over its deli meat after 59 cases of illness and 10 deaths.
Stories like these are making people concerned about the care that’s being put into America’s food supply.
“It makes me a little bit weary when I go to the store, and I’m like … I just heard about this, so I’m going to steer clear of this section and choose some other brands and products,” Motiur Rahmn said.
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A Gallup poll from last month shows Americans’ confidence in the federal government’s ability to ensure the safety of the U.S. food supply has reached a record low. Only 57% of U.S. adults now say they have a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence in the government — down 11 points from 2019.
“We’re trusting a lot of people to be managing the food that we’re putting in our bodies every day and that we’re feeding to our families,” Siobhan Ryan said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.