E. Coli outbreaks have been a recurring issue in the fast food industry. Some outbreaks have been widely publicized by news and media, and have been raising awareness about food safety in fast food chains.
This E. coli outbreak was one of the most serious outbreaks in US history that tied to undercooked beef patties. One child had eaten at Jack in the Box and became ill. It was thought another was infected by a child who became ill after eating at Jack in the Box, and a cause for the third child’s infection was unknown. In total, 400 people were infected with the bacteria in Washington State, Idaho and Nevada. A meat traceback was conducted, however no specific slaughter plant or farm was ever identified as the source of the contaminated meat. Hamburger patties had been made at one plant. The outbreak illustrated the potential for large, foodborne illness outbreaks associated with restaurant chains receiving shipments of contaminated food. There were factors that complicated the detection and subsequent response to this outbreak.
Chipotle experienced a series of outbreaks in multiple states, sickening dozens of people. From approximately 2015 to 2018, Chipotle faced at least five food safety incidents at various restaurants around the country, which stemmed primarily from store level employees’ failure to follow Chipotle’s food safety policies and procedures, including the policy requiring the exclusion of restaurant employees who were sick or recently had been sick. This event brought significant media attention and led to a drop in sales. This forced Chipotle to implement new safety practices.
This recent E. coli outbreak linked to McDonalds has affected at least around 90 people across 13 different states. The primary source of contamination has been the slivered onions used on the McDonald’s Quarter Pounders. The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for E. coli. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.
Despite improvements between various fast food chains, E Coli still remains a big risk. It remains particularly risky with leafy greens and ground beef that can result in contamination.
