McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger has addressed the recent E coli outbreak linked to the chain’s Quarter Pounders.
According to the food safety alert issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday, October 22, one person died and 49 people were left sick across 10 different states as a result of the outbreak.
Erlinger appeared on the Today show on Wednesday to reassure customers that they can eat at the fast food restaurant without fearing for their health.
“We are very confident that you can go to McDonald’s and enjoy our classics,” Erlinger said. “We took swift action yesterday to remove the Quarter Pounder from our menu.”
It is currently unclear which of the burger ingredients are contaminated although McDonald’s has removed slivered onions and beef patties used for Quarter Pounders from stores in the affected states. The states of Oregon, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin were all affected by the outbreak.
“This was swift and decisive action by us, and it is the quarter pounder and two ingredients on that quarter pounder that are under investigation by the CDC,” the company’s president continued. “So I want to say to our consumers that you can confidently go to McDonald’s today.”
The company is continuing to obtain updates from its suppliers and the CDC to determine the cause of the outbreak.
“Food safety is our top priority at McDonald’s, it’s the top priority in this building where I am, at the McDonald’s headquarters. It’s a top priority in our nearly 14,000 McDonald’s restaurants across the U.S. It’s the top priority for our suppliers as well,” Erlinger said.
“This is something that we talk about as being everyone’s business. And so while the investigation continues, and we’ll continue to get into the details of those investigations, I don’t think that’s what’s important,” he continued. “What’s important today is that we’ve taken the action to protect the American public and promote public health.”
The first case of E coli illness from the quarter pounders was reported on September 27 with the most recent recorded on October 11. However, the CDC revealed in its alert the number is likely “much higher” because it normally takes between three and four weeks to determine if one single case is part of the outbreak.
Symptoms of E coli include stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting. It is normally contracted via contaminated food or drinks, according to the Mayo Clinic. Most adults fully recover from the infection within one week.
Erlinger added that based on the onset dates for the outbreak the ingredients will have already fully progressed through their supply chain by now.
“But certainly we will be working with the CDC and cooperating with them on the investigation, and we’ll take in more data and let the science continue to lead our actions,” he said.
The McDonald’s president was asked if the company was concerned about the outbreak negatively affecting business as customers potentially avoid the chain. He quoted the man who first bought the restaurant from the McDonald’s brothers in 1961, Ray Kroc.
“Our founder famously said, ‘If you take care of our customers, the business will take care of itself,’” he said.