McDonald's Cleared by CDC After Investigation into Lethal E. Coli Outbreak

Mar. 15, 2025

Mcdonald’s Quarter Pounder with cheese.Photo:Getty

Getty

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) clearedMcDonald’safter itslethal E. coli outbreaktied to the Quarter Pounder. The CDC made the announcement on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

McDonald’s chief impact officer Michael Gonda and chief supply chain officer Cesar Piña wrote in arecent statementthat the CDC has “confirmed that their respective investigations into E. coli at McDonald’s have been closed.”

McDonald’s restaurant in Burbank, Calif.Mario Tama/Getty

Mario Tama/Getty

The statement added that the federal agency found “there were no new illnesses associated with consumers eating at McDonald’s following our swift and decisive action on October 22, 2024.”

“This reinforces the importance of our values, particularly in moving quickly to do the right thing and to always put people first,” Gonda and Piña wrote before thanking their complying restaurant teams.

“The process to reach this point has at times felt long, challenging and uncertain,” the statement continued. “But it is critical that public officials examine every possible angle, and we are deeply grateful that they moved quickly to identify and, in partnership with McDonald’s, contain the issue.”

TheCDCreported that the outbreak caused one death, 34 hospitalizations and 104 cases across 14 states, including Washington, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan and North Carolina.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sign.Getty

E. coli can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting.

On Nov. 13, theU.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) declared that there was no longer a food safety concern related to the E. coli outbreak.

The FDA was unable to find the strain linked to the specific strain of E. coli in its onion and environmental samples, though they noted that data shows that “recalled, yellow onions were the likely source of this outbreak.”

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PEOPLE previously reported that CDC began its investigation on Tuesday, Oct. 22.

The first case was recorded on Sept. 27, though illnesses were documented through Oct. 21. However, the CDC noted that the “true number of sick people in this outbreak is also likely much higher than the number reported.”

Piña wrote in an internal message on the brand’snewsroom siteat the time that the company is “taking swift and decisive action following” the outbreak.

In some states, the Quarter Pounder was temporarily removed from the menu, though other beef products were “unaffected and available.”

source: people.com