McDonald’s restaurants in Taiwan source ingredients from different locations than in the US, McDonald's Taiwan said today, after one person died and dozens fell sick following a severe Escherichia coli (E coli) outbreak linked to the chain’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers in the western US.
The onion slivers used in Taiwan McDonald’s locations are from New Zealand, while the beef patties are from Paraguay, New Zealand and Australia, the company said in a statement.
Both are different sources from US locations, it said, adding that all ingredients have been inspected by the suppliers and meet food safety standards.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The outbreak, which began late last month, spans 10 western states with most of the 49 cases concentrated in Colorado and Nebraska, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said yesterday.
Ten people have been hospitalized, including one child with hemolytic uremic syndrome — a serious condition that damages blood vessels in the kidneys.
"One older person in Colorado has died," the CDC said in a statement.
All affected people carried the same strain of E coli and reported eating at McDonald's before developing their symptoms, with most specifically recalling having had Quarter Pounders.
While investigators have not yet pinpointed the exact ingredient causing the outbreak, they are focusing on slivered onions and beef patties — both of which have been removed from restaurants in the affected states pending further investigation.
"Food safety is so important to me and everyone at McDonald's," McDonald's USA president Joe Erlinger said in a video message. "We've taken steps to proactively remove slivered onions, which are used in Quarter Pounders, in select states.”
"We've also made the decision to temporarily remove the Quarter Pounder from restaurants in select states," he said, adding that the majority of states are not affected.
In affected states, other menu items including other beef products remain available.
The agency advised those who consumed a Quarter Pounder and developed symptoms of E coli poisoning — such as diarrhea, a fever over 38.9°C and vomiting — to seek medical attention.
Symptoms typically begin three to four days after exposure, and most people recover within five to seven days without treatment.
However, some cases can become severe and require hospitalization.
Additional reporting by CNA
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS