McDonald’s is allocating $100 million to encourage customers to return to restaurants following an E. coli food poisoning outbreak linked to onions used in the fast-food chain’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers.
According to a memo obtained by Restaurant Dive, the investment will allocate approximately $35 million toward marketing initiatives aimed at increasing customer traffic. The remaining funds will be directed toward assisting affected franchisees.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified slivered onions on Quarter Pounders as the probable source of the E. coli outbreak. In response, Taylor Farms in California has recalled onions that may be connected to this incident.
Colorado recorded a minimum of 30 cases, while Montana had 19, Nebraska reported 13, and New Mexico noted 10. These illnesses occurred between September 12 and October 21. Federal health officials indicated that at least 104 individuals fell ill, with 34 requiring hospitalization.
Additionally, one person in Colorado lost their life, and four others experienced a serious kidney disease complication that could be life-threatening.
Last week, McDonald’s announced that it has found a new supplier for slivered onions. As a result, all 3,000 restaurants that had temporarily removed the burgers have now reinstated them on their menus.
Additionally, approximately 900 locations that were offering Quarter Pounders without onions have started serving them with onions again.
Date: Friday, 22nd Nov 2024
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