McDonald’s has seen some major scandals in its lifetime as a major global fast food joint. In addition to that series, a major scandal and a ‘mini-epidemic’ broke out last week when the presence of E. coli bacteria in its top-selling quarter-pounder burgers led to a crisis of a major scale.
E Coli Conundrum
As per reports, this particular burger has marked a return to about 900 outlets in the United States
Here a quarter-pounder is that burger whose pre-cooked patty is roughly a quarter of a pound or 4 ounces or about 113 grams.
The aforementioned bacterial infestation led to a major health scare in the United States, which saw about 75 people being affected across 13 of the 50 US states.
The health and hygiene fiasco catapulted the brand into a major crisis, with its stocks falling in and around the US. The brand was forced to pull the burger from their menus.
Among the ones affected, as per reports, 22 individuals have been hospitalised. In addition, crucially, two people have developed a serious condition called haemolytic uremic syndrome. The haemolytic uremic syndrome can affect the kidneys and even cause kidney failure.
McDonald’s Issues Statement
The multi-national burger giant issued a statement on the matter.
In the statement entitled ‘Always Putting Food Safety First’, McDonald’s said, “Our commitment to food safety isn’t the responsibility of any one person, team, department, or leg of the stool.
Our commitment to food safety is everyone’s primary responsibility, and this week we’ve been reminded why.”
It further added, “The issue appears to be contained to a particular ingredient and geography, and we remain very confident that any contaminated product related to this outbreak has been removed from our supply chain and is out of all McDonald’s restaurants.”
The statement concluded by adding the USFDA is investigating the matter.
McDonald’s Corp Shares
The markets have reacted to this fiasco by withdrawing themselves from the company. McDonald’s listed on the NYSE drowned in red in the past 5 trading sessions. The company shares declined by 7.66 per cent or USD 24.29, last week before closing at USD 292.61 per piece.
