McDonald's has announced it will start selling Quarter Pounder burgers again after tests for Escherichia coli came back negative.
Last week, restaurants in a dozen US states temporarily pulled the burgers from their menus amid an outbreak linked to them that sent dozens of people to hospital and one person died.
The fast-food giant said Escherichia coli was not found in its Beef Quarter Pounder after testing by the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA).
McDonald's indicated that the CDA does not plan additional testing. Another suspected source of the outbreak is in the chopped onion in the burger.
The company announced that it has indefinitely suspended the onion supplier in question, Taylor Farms in Colorado Springs.
The 900 restaurants that received onions from the supplier will sell their Quarter Pounders without the ingredient, AFP reported.
"The problem appears to be limited to a specific ingredient and geographic area, and we remain fully confident that all contaminated products associated with this outbreak have been removed from our supply chain," McDonald's said in a statement.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised those who consumed the Quarter Pounder and developed symptoms of Escherichia coli -- diarrhea, fever over 100°F (38.9°C) and vomiting -- to seek medical attention.
Symptoms usually begin three to four days after infection, and most people recover within five to seven days without treatment. However, some cases can become severe and require hospitalization.
Several victims have filed lawsuits against McDonald's. An elderly person is believed to have died. | BGNES
