Foodborne illnesses outbreaks are uncommon for popular restaurant chains, but they can occur.
An E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers has affected 49 individuals in 10 states, resulting in one death and 10 hospitalizations.
McDonald’s stopped distributing slivered onions and temporarily removed the Quarter Pounder from menus in multiple states.
Here is a brief history of incidents that have sickened customers, disrupted businesses, and sometimes influenced food safety regulations in the United States.
Wendy’s withdrew lettuce from sandwiches in its Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania locations in August 2022 following reports of illnesses.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was investigating whether romaine lettuce was the source of an E. coli outbreak that sickened at least 37 people and if romaine lettuce used at Wendy’s was also served at other establishments.
One person in Indiana was also affected, according to the CDC.
In 2015, Chipotle experienced an E. coli outbreak that sickened over 50 individuals, leading to the temporary closure of numerous West Coast restaurants. Subsequently, 30 Boston College students fell ill after dining at a Chipotle outlet.
The outbreak was declared over by February 2016, prompting a chain-wide shutdown for employee retraining and reorganization.
Chipotle’s sales plummeted, leading to the resignation of Co-CEO Montgomery Moran by the end of the year.
In 2020, Chipotle Mexican Grille agreed to pay a record $25 million fine for serving contaminated food that sickened over 1,100 individuals in the U.S. between 2015 and 2018.
Chipotle admitted to poor safety practices that caused illnesses in several locations.
Despite these setbacks, Chipotle remains one of the top-performing chain restaurants in the U.S., achieving nearly $10 billion in sales last year.
In December 2006, Taco Bell removed green onions from all its 5,800 outlets nationwide due to E. coli contamination. The outbreak affected at least 71 people, with some developing kidney failure.
Subsequent investigations determined contaminated lettuce as the likely cause.
Taco Bell reassured customers through ad campaigns and interviews, eventually recovering and experiencing a 6% sales increase last year.
Four deaths and over 700 illnesses in 1992-1993 were linked to undercooked burgers at Jack in the Box, prompting regulatory changes in the U.S.
The CDC investigation identified potential sources of contamination and led to the implementation of stricter food safety regulations.
Jack in the Box faced financial losses but eventually rebounded, reporting $1.7 billion in sales last year.
