McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers will be available again in restaurants affected by the E. coli epidemic

This week, McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers will be served again in about 900 locations after the fast-food chain discontinued the item due to a fatal E. coli infection.

As health officials continue to look into the outbreak’s origin, affected restaurants, which make up around 5% of the company’s U.S. presence, will be serving Quarter Pounder burgers without sliced onions for the foreseeable future. Restaurants in Colorado, Kansas, and Wyoming as well as parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Utah will be impacted by this change.

“The issue appears to be contained to a particular ingredient and geography, and we remain very confident that any contaminated product related to this outbreak has been removed from our supply chain and is out of all McDonald’s restaurants,” said Cesar Pina, chief supply chain officer for McDonald’s North American operations, in a letter to the company’s U.S. system.

According to Pina, the Colorado Department of Agriculture tested samples of beef patties from local eateries and found no E. coli. The EPA has no plans to conduct further tests on the company’s meat.

Instead, health officials have identified slivered onions used in Quarter Pounders as the likely source of the outbreak. The Food and Drug Administration is still examining if Taylor Farms-produced onions are to blame. McDonald’s has discontinued utilizing Taylor Farms as an ingredient supplier indefinitely.

McDonald’s has asked its beef suppliers to get ready a new supply of the fresh beef patties used in its Quarter Pounders, according to Pina in a letter to the company’s U.S. system. Customers may anticipate to see the menu item return in all locations during the next week, although this will happen on a rolling basis, dependent on delivery and restock operations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that an E. coli epidemic connected to McDonald’s has resulted in 75 illnesses across 13 states. Out of 61 patients with accessible information, 22 were hospitalized, and two had hemolytic uremic syndrome, a dangerous illness that can lead to kidney failure. The government had earlier stated that one older adult in Colorado had died.

Based on documented cases, the outbreak occurred between September 27 and October 11. According to business representatives, McDonald’s sells around one million Quarter Pounders in the impacted region over a two-week period.

McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger apologized to customers who are feeling “ill, scared, or uncertain” in a video put on the company’s website.

“On behalf of the McDonald’s system, I want you to hear from me: we are sorry,” stated the employee.

McDonald’s is set to release its third-quarter earnings before the bell on Tuesday. The company’s shares have slumped 7% since the CDC attributed the E. coli outbreak to its eateries.