A California-based produce company was the source of fresh onions linked to a deadly E. coli at McDonald鈥檚, officials with the restaurant chain said Thursday. Meanwhile, other fast-food restaurants 鈥� including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King 鈥� pulled onions from some menus.
McDonald鈥檚 officials said that Taylor Farms, of Salinas, California, sent onions to one distribution facility, which led the fast-food chain to from restaurants in several states. McDonald鈥檚 didn鈥檛 say which facility it was.
An outbreak tied to the burgers has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states, including a person who died, federal health officials have said. Investigators said they were as a potential source of the infections.
McDonald's sa国际传媒 has said its operations aren't affected, and that none of the affected products or ingredients are used in its restaurants.
U.S. Foods, a major wholesaler to restaurants across the country, said Thursday that Taylor Farms had issued a recall this week for peeled whole and diced yellow onions for potential E. coli contamination. The recalled onions came from a Taylor Farms facility in Colorado, a U.S. Foods spokesperson said. But the wholesaler also noted that it wasn鈥檛 a McDonald鈥檚 supplier and that its recall didn鈥檛 include any products sold at the fast-food chain鈥檚 restaurants.
Taylor Farms did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Officials with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not confirm that the agency is investigating Taylor Farms. A spokesperson said Thursday that the agency is 鈥渓ooking at all sources鈥� of the outbreak.
In the meantime, other temporarily stopped using fresh onions.
鈥淎s 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,鈥� Yum Brands said in a statement.
Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum Brands wouldn鈥檛 say where onions were removed or whether the company uses the same supplier as McDonald鈥檚. Yum Brands said it will continue to follow guidance from regulators and its suppliers.
Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, said Thursday that 5% of its restaurants use onions distributed by Taylor Farms鈥� Colorado facility. Burger King restaurants get deliveries of whole, fresh onions and its employees wash, peel and slice them.
Even though it wasn鈥檛 contacted by health officials and it had no indications of illness, Restaurant Brands said it asked the restaurants that received onions from the Colorado facility to dispose of them two days ago. The company said it鈥檚 restocking with onions from other suppliers.
Chipotle said Thursday it doesn鈥檛 source onions from Taylor Farms or us any other ingredients from the Colorado facility.
Onions have been implicated in . In 2015, Taylor Farms recalled a celery and onion mix used in Costco chicken salads after 19 people were sickened with E. coli. Last year, in an outbreak of salmonella poisoning tied to bagged diced onions from Gills Onions of Oxnard, California. At least 10 people have been hospitalized in the McDonald鈥檚 outbreak, including a child who suffered a severe kidney disease complication as a result of the infection. Illnesses were confirmed between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Victims were infected with E. coli 0157:H7, a type of bacteria that produces a dangerous toxin. It causes about 74,000 infections in the U.S. annually, leading to more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths each year, according to CDC.
A Greeley, Colorado, man is suing McDonald鈥檚 after contracting an E. coli infection. In a lawsuit filed this week, Eric Stelly said he ate food from local McDonald鈥檚 on Oct. 4 and fell ill two days later. After he sought emergency care, health officials confirmed his infection was part of the outbreak.
Symptoms occur of E. coli poisoning can occur quickly, within a day or two of eating contaminated food. They typically include fever, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea and signs of dehydration 鈥� little or no peeing, increased thirst and dizziness. The infection is especially dangerous for children younger than 5, people who are elderly, pregnant or who have weakened immune systems.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute鈥檚 Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Jonel Aleccia And Dee-ann Durbin, The Associated Press
