SINGAPORE: Fast food chain McDonald’s said on Friday (Oct 25) that its Singapore operations are not affected by an E. coli outbreak in the United States blamed on fresh onions.
The outbreak at McDonald’s restaurants in the US, which has sickened 49 people and killed one, has led to the recall of sliced onions from supplier Taylor Farms.
Rival Burger King, which also gets supplies from Taylor Farms, has followed suit, as has Yum Brands’ KFC and Pizza Hut.
McDonald’s told CNA that the E. coli outbreak and the subsequent recall does not affect its operations in Singapore.
“We want to reassure our customers that this issue does not impact McDonald’s operations in Singapore in any way,” said a McDonald’s spokesperson.
“Our slivered onion ingredients are sourced from suppliers in Malaysia and Singapore.”
CNA has also reached out to Burger King, KFC and Pizza Hut representatives in Singapore for comments.
The E. coli outbreak was initially linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers, but the US Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday that fresh onions were the likely source.
US regulators are still investigating if McDonald’s beef patties could have been affected, but while E. coli is killed in beef when properly cooked, the Quarter Pounder is served with raw onions.
The US Food and Drug Administration confirmed on Thursday that Taylor Farms was the supplier for the affected McDonald’s locations and that the company has initiated a voluntary recall.
It added that it was working to investigate if onions were the source of this outbreak.