McDonald’s (MCD) is reinstating its Quarter Pounder hamburger at 900 restaurants a week after the company pulled the item from its menu due to an E. coli outbreak.
However, impacted restaurants, which account for one-fifth of the company’s U.S. chain, will serve Quarter Pounders without onions as they are believed to be the source of the E. coli outbreak.
Restaurants that have reported E. coli infections are based in the states of Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.
“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 the company in a written statement.
McDonald’s beef has been tested and found not to contain any E. coli, added the company.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating whether onions produced by Taylor Farms are responsible for the E. coli outbreak at McDonald’s.
McDonald’s has said that it has stopped using Taylor Farms as a supplier for onions indefinitely.
Customers of McDonald’s in the U.S. can expect to see the Quarter Pounder back on the menu this week, although it will happen on a rolling basis.
E. coli linked to McDonald’s has led to 75 reported infections across 13 states, which has resulted in 22 people being hospitalized and one death in Colorado.
McDonald’s is scheduled to report its third-quarter financial results on Oct. 29. The company’s stock has declined 2% so far this year and is trading at $292.61 U.S. per share.
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