On Thursday, Yum Brands announced that they have taken onions out of some Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC outlets following an E. coli outbreak tied to Quarter Pounders from McDonald’s, which is suspected to involve onions.

This decision is described by the company as being made “out of an abundance of caution” in relation to an E. coli outbreak that has sickened 49 individuals in 10 states and resulted in one fatality.

“As we keep track of the recent E. coli outbreak and in an effort to be cautious, we have voluntarily removed fresh onions from specific Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC locations,” Yum Brands stated in a message provided to YSL News. “We will continue to adhere to supplier and regulatory recommendations to maintain the safety and quality of our meals.”

This move follows a recall by US Foods concerning onions supplied by their third-party supplier, Taylor Farms.

The company did not provide details on which locations had removed the onions or the identity of the onion supplier for those venues.

McDonald’s supplier involved in separate onion recall

McDonald’s informed YSL News that Taylor Farms’ production facility had supplied onions to their locations that are affected by the E. coli cases.

However, a distinct recall for Taylor Farms onions from Colorado, which McDonald’s indicated are unrelated to the removal of Quarter Pounders, was released by food distributor US Foods.

This recall notice for Taylor Farms onions cited potential E. coli contamination as the reason for the recall.

The notice from US Foods stated, “Our records indicate that affected products may have been distributed to your location. It is critical to stop using these products immediately.”

The recall encompassed:

• 30-pound bags of peeled jumbo yellow onions
• 4/5-pound bags of 3/8-inch diced fresh yellow onions
• 5-pound bags of fresh diced yellow onions
• 6/5-pound bags of whole, peeled yellow onions

US Foods clarified that they do not supply McDonald’s, as this fast-food chain stated. They also mentioned to YSL News that they are not considered a distributor for McDonald’s restaurants, and as such, McDonald’s locations are not included in the recall notifications about the Taylor Farms Colorado onions.

According to information from The Wall Street Journal, Taylor Farms had supplied onions to the McDonald’s locations involved in the outbreak. The company stated to the Journal that they have removed yellow onions from their Colorado facility from the market in compliance with federal regulators.

Taylor Farms has not promptly responded to YSL News’ request for comments.

Quarter Pounder connected to deadly outbreak

The CDC announced the outbreak on Tuesday, leading McDonald’s to take Quarter Pounders off the menu in 20% of their restaurants on Wednesday.

The CDC reports that at least 49 individuals have fallen ill across 10 states, with 10 requiring hospitalization and one fatality. The Colorado Department of Public Health noted that the fatal case involved an “elderly individual with pre-existing health issues.”

Although the CDC has not yet identified the contaminated ingredient, McDonald’s stated that an initial investigation showed that “a subset of illnesses” was related to slivered onions from a supplier that provides to three of McDonald’s distribution centers.

Federal safety regulators are investigating the source of the E. coli outbreak and are focusing on either the beef patty or the slivered onions served on the Quarter Pounder. Diced onions, which are used in cheeseburgers and hamburgers, are not included in the recall, according to the company.

On Thursday, the FDA informed YSL News that there were no updates regarding the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder investigation, adding that they have not connected the outbreak to Taylor Farms. “We are still exploring all potential sources,” said spokesperson Janell Goodwin.