After the outbreak of E. coli poisoning incidents in the American food industry, Yum! Brands Inc., the parent company of fast-food chains Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC, has requested some of its stores to remove raw onions from their menu items.
According to a report by Bloomberg on Thursday (October 24), Yum! Brands stated in a press release that, “out of utmost caution,” they are pulling fresh onions from certain food items, without disclosing which specific fast-food outlets and regions are affected or revealing the names of the suppliers.
“We will continue to follow supplier and regulatory guidance to ensure the ongoing safety and quality of our food,” the statement said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States announced on October 22 that E. coli was detected in McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, leading to cases of food poisoning that resulted in one death and several hospitalizations.
Subsequently, the entire American food industry has remained vigilant.
McDonald’s has already removed this product from 20% of its restaurants and is working with health authorities to confirm the source of contamination. McDonald’s has over 13,000 stores in the United States.
In a statement released on October 22, McDonald’s indicated that, based on initial findings, some cases of illness may be linked to onions supplied by a specific vendor.
McDonald’s emphasized in the statement that they take food safety very seriously.
Taylor Farms, the supplier of onions to McDonald’s restaurants, has voluntarily recalled some batches of yellow onions as a precaution, although as of Wednesday, no traces of E. coli had been found.
The two largest food distribution companies in the United States, Sysco Corp. and US Foods Holding Corp., also informed their customers about the recall incident.