In this illustration, a McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburger is seen at a McDonald's restaurant on October 23, 2024 in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to cut onions served at a restaurant… McDonald's The matter ended, more than a month after the agency began its investigation into the outbreak.
The CDC said 104 people in 14 states were infected in the outbreak. It led to the hospitalization of 27 people and the death of an older adult in Colorado.
The agency first announced the outbreak on October 22. The CDC pointed to fresh sliced onions served in the Quarter Pounder and other menu items as the likely source of the outbreak.
The Quarter Pounder hamburger is a staple on the McDonald's menu, generating billions of dollars each year. The company temporarily removed its burgers from some locations after the outbreak, but has since brought back the menu item.
While the outbreak is officially over, McDonald's is still dealing with the sales fallout.
Traffic to its U.S. restaurants fell 6.6% on Nov. 18 compared to the previous year, according to a research note from Gordon Haskett. This is an improvement from the low point of a seven-day rolling average of 11% traffic decline on October 29.
The 10 states that the CDC first contacted with outbreaks saw sharp declines in traffic, such as a combined 9.5% decline on Nov. 18, according to the memo.
The company also reportedly plans to invest more than $100 million in targeted marketing and financial assistance to affected franchisees.
McDonald's is bringing back its popular McRib, starting Tuesday, despite a “farewell tour” last year. The chain will also roll out a new McValue menu in January, hoping to attract consumers looking for cheap deals.
“Looking to the future, we must remain focused on regaining our customers’ hard-earned trust and reviving their brand,” wrote Michael Gonda, McDonald’s North America chief impact officer, and Cesar Pena, the company’s North America chief supply chain officer. Internal memo on Tuesday.
McDonald's shares have fallen 7% since the CDC first linked the chain's Quarter Pounders to the outbreak. The company's market value is $209.6 billion.
