LOUISVILLE, KY. — Yum! Brands Inc. announced on Oct. 24 that it would remove onions from some Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants after the E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders were suspected to be caused by onions. 

New numbers released by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  stated that 75 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported from 13 states with 22 hospitalizations. 

“As we continue to monitor the recently reported E. coli outbreak, and out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively removed fresh onions from select Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants,” Yum Brands said in a statement. “We will continue following supplier and regulatory guidance to ensure the ongoing safety and quality of our food.”

Other major restaurant chains have also made precautionary moves regarding onions. Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, stated that it would remove onions from certain menu items. 

“There is no crossover with McDonald’s for the vast majority of our onion facilities,” a Burger King spokesperson said to MEAT+POULTRY. “About 5% of our restaurants do receive onions distributed from the Taylor Farms Colorado facility. Burger King only uses whole, fresh onions and our team members then cut them, peel them, wash them and slice them fresh in our restaurants every day. Despite no contact from health authorities and no indications of illness, we proactively asked our 5% of restaurants who received whole onions distributed by this facility to dispose of them immediately two days ago and we are in the process of restocking them from other facilities.”

McDonald’s also stated in multiple reports that Taylor Farms’ production supplied slivered onions to the McDonald’s locations that were impacted.

Foodservice distributor US Foods received a notification that Taylor Farms was conducting a recall of four yellow onion products due to potential E. coli contamination.

An update from a company spokesperson said it is not a distributor for McDonald’s restaurants.

“First and foremost, US Foods takes food safety very seriously,” US Foods said to MEAT+POULTRY. “Out of an abundance of caution, Taylor Farms, one of our third-party suppliers, issued a voluntary recall on Oct. 22, 2024, for specific onion products produced out of their Colorado facility. The Taylor Farms recall impacts six US Foods distribution centers located in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and New Mexico. As aligned with our rigorous recall process, we have contacted all impacted US Foods customers to provide appropriate recall instructions.”

Taylor Farms released a statement to some television stations regarding the E. coli outbreak. 

“We test both raw and finished products for pathogens and have found no traces of E. coli. We have never seen E. coli O157:H7 associated with onions in the past,” a Taylor Farms spokesperson said. “We continue to work closely with FDA and CDC during this ongoing investigation. Our priority is the health and wellness of our customers and consumers and the safety and quality of our products.”

US Foods also stated that Taylor Farms’ report shows no traces of E.coli.

The CDC and other agencies continue to investigate the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder to confirm which ingredient in the hamburgers is making people sick.

The FDA provided an update on Oct. 25 during its roundup.

"A specific ingredient has not yet been confirmed as the source of the outbreak, but most sick people report eating McDonald's Quarter Pounder burgers. Investigators are working to determine if the slivered onions or beef patties on Quarter Pounder burgers are the likely source of contamination," the agency said. "McDonald's has temporarily stopped using Quarter Pounder slivered onions and beef patties in affected states. Diced onions and other types of beef patties used at McDonald's have not been implicated in this outbreak."