Workers at a McDonald’s supplier linked to a deadly E. coli outbreak were not properly washing their hands and failed to sanitize their equipment, a Food and Drug Administration investigation found.
Newsweek has contacted McDonald’s and the supplier Taylor Farms for comment via email outside of regular working hours.
Why It Matters
Just 10 bacteria per gram of food could cause illness with E. coli O157, Natalie Stanton, a chartered environmental health officer and founder of The Safety Expert in the United Kingdom, previously told Newsweek. This is compared to some other food poisoning bacteria where thousands or millions were needed to cause symptoms.
What to Know
One person died and more than 100 people became sick following an outbreak of E. coli linked to onions served at McDonald’s around October 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
An FDA inspection report into a food production facility in Colorado run by Taylor Farms was obtained by CBS News through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The findings reveal several health violations were occurring at the supplier, which provided the fast-food chain with slivered onions, a product that the FDA linked as a potential source of the outbreak.
The slivered onions provided by Taylor Farms were used in McDonald’s patties to make its Quarter Pounder burgers.
The violations included large amounts of food debris seen across the facility and food contact surfaces that were visibly not cleaned, even after workers had supposedly tidied their areas.
The report said that the McDonald’s supplier workers used hand sanitizer instead of fully washing their hands with soap at sinks. Staff at the supplier also only “sometimes” used hand sanitizer over their gloved hands when handling food that was ready-to-eat (RTE).
An inspection also found examples of uniforms that were contaminated and then touched by workers who handled food products.
The FDA inspection resulted in the agency issuing the McDonald’s supplier a Form 483, which lists examples of health violations that inspectors said could be “injurious to health.”
Taylor Farms stated it immediately addressed the issues raised in the report, noting that the FDA classified the inspection as not resulting in “administrative or regulatory action” against the company.
McDonald’s said in October that it is using an alternative slivered onion supplier for 900 of its restaurants across the country in the wake of the outbreak. Taylor Farms also recalled thousands of cases of ready-to-eat onions from six states following the outbreak.
What People Are Saying
FDA officials noted in the inspection report of Taylor Farms’ facility: “Production employees handling RTE produce and food contact surfaces were not observed using any of the handwashing sinks in the facility. Employees sometimes used hand sanitizer over their gloved hands only. This is evidenced by a production employee who sanitized his gloved hands only after touching the hose on the floor.
“Production apron parts were observed inside the handwashing sink and commingled with various items at the handwashing station during the inspection. The apron ties were touching the inside and outside of the handwashing sink basin, and the ties were touched by production employees’ hands that handle food and food contact surfaces. Employees were observed to only sanitize their gloved hands after touching insanitary surfaces and then resumed touching RTE food and various food contact surfaces. Employees were not observed removing gloves, washing hands, and donning new gloves. According to firm management, it is common practice for employees to only use hand sanitizer stations in the production areas.”
McDonald’s said in a statement to CBS News: “We hold our suppliers to the highest expectations and standards of food safety. Prior to this inspection, and unrelated to its findings, McDonald’s stopped sourcing from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility.”
Taylor Farms said in a statement: “Taylor Farms is confident in our best-in-class food safety processes and the quality and safety of our products. As is common following an inspection, the FDA issued observations of conditions that could be improved at one of our facilities. This is consistent with the fact that no illnesses or public health threats have been linked to these observations.”
What Happens Next
McDonald’s is facing several lawsuits from customers who became ill after eating contaminated food at one of its restaurants.
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